RLPB 176. Youcef Nadarkhani & Rimsha Masih: two Christian prisoners walk 'free'

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 176 | Wed 12 Sep 2012

YOUCEF NADARKHANI AND RIMSHA MASIH
-- Two Christian prisoners walk 'free' (Updating RLPB 173)
By Elizabeth Kendal

Over the weekend of 8-9 September two persecuted, imprisoned and much-prayed-for Christians -- Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (34) of Iran and Rimsha Masih (14) of Pakistan -- walked free from their cells into the warm embrace of family. While we praise and thank the LORD for granting these blessings, we must recognise that these battles are not over. We must persist in prayer.

PASTOR YOUCEF NADARKHANI (IRAN)

On Saturday 8 September 2012, after more than 1000 days in jail, Youcef Nadarkhani -- the sorely persecuted pastor who repeatedly refused to renounce his LORD -- emerged a free man, unbroken. The court acquitted Nadarkhani of apostasy, the charge for which he had been sentenced to death. According to Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, Nadarkhani's lawyer, the court 'finally accepted our argument' that Iran's penal code did not 'criminalise apostasy' (Financial Times, 9 Sep). However, the court did find Nadarkhani guilty of 'evangelising Muslims'. For this 'crime' he was sentenced to three years imprisonment but granted time served and released.

family says "Thank-you"

While we rejoice that Pastor Youcef is out of jail, enjoying the fellowship of believers and the joyful, tender warmth of his wife and sons, we must remember that Nadarkhani's life might be more at risk now than ever. Iran's penal code might not criminalise apostasy but Islamic Sharia law does. Furthermore, as this prayer ministry previously cautioned in RLPB 173, 'by launching a new trial with unprovable accusations [extortion and banditry], the regime may be seeking to "wash its hands" publicly of Nadarkhani and release him to the Islamists and secret police while declaring itself "innocent of this man's blood" (after the manner of Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27:24), as has happened before in Iran.' Furthermore, a second conviction of 'evangelising Muslims' would doubtless be punished more severely than the first. We must also remember that numerous Iranian Christians remain in prison, including Pastor Behnam Irani (41; married, with two children) who is gravely ill.

RIMSHA MASIH (PAKISTAN)

Rimsha Masih (14) was granted bail on 7 September but could not leave prison until adequate security was arranged. On Sunday 9 September she was transported in a bulletproof armoured vehicle to a helicopter that flew her to a secret location where she should be safe from the radicalised Muslim mobs that demand her death. Rimsha will face court again on Sunday 16 September and should be acquitted. Having been accused of blasphemy, Rimsha in reality is not safe anywhere in Pakistan -- her innocence is irrelevant! Unless the family is removed to a safe-haven in the West, she will eventually be killed -- probably sooner rather than later.

Whilst Rimsha's plight is terrible, what it says about the Pakistani society in which Christians have to live is far worse. And because the authorities have been able to turn this case into one about age and mental capacity (Rimsha is a mentally impaired juvenile) and a local imam has been accused of evidence-tampering, they have been able to whitewash the whole crisis completely so that it is no longer about the blasphemy law and endemic religious hatred at all. The danger is, that with the next crisis looming, the real issues are not being addressed. A few voices of protest and disgust are being raised, warning that Pakistan will be torn apart unless Wahhabi Saudi Arabian, Sunni fundamentalist ideology is countered. However, political courage is in short supply.

While we rejoice that Rimsha is out of jail and back in the comforting arms of her loving parents, we must resist the temptation to cry 'peace, peace' when there is no peace! At this stage, nothing has changed in Pakistan.

[For more details see Pakistan: religious hatred not being addressed
Religious Liberty Monitoring, 5 Sep 2012 ]

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL --

* intervene in Iran and (as in RLPB 128) 'redeem the suffering of Iran's Church, so that this persecution will actually have the opposite effect to what is intended. (Habakkuk 2:14)'

* intervene in Pakistan and (as in RLPB 173) 'redeem all this appalling suffering, and use it to shame and awaken Pakistani Muslims to the ugliness that has engulfed them, softening their hearts to the Good News so that they and even their whole communities can be radically transformed. (Isaiah 2:2-4)'

'Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.' (Psalm 126:6 TNIV)

* be a strong shield and fortress around Youcef Nadarkhani and Rimsha Masih as well as all their family members; may angels guard them, and may those who seek to kill them be frustrated and ashamed. (Isaiah 26:1-6 and Psalm 141:8-10)

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TWO CHRISTIAN PRISONERS WALK 'FREE'

Over the weekend 8-9 September two persecuted and  much-prayed-for Christians -- Youcef Nadarkhani (34) of Iran, and Rimsha Masih (14) of Pakistan -- walked free from their cells into the warm embrace of family. We praise and thank the LORD for this, while recognising that these battles are not over. The court acquitted Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani of apostasy but found him guilty of evangelising Muslims. For this 'crime' he received a three-year sentence but was released due to his time already served. Nadarkhani's life is still seriously at risk. Rimsha, who is out on bail, will face court again on Sunday 16 September and should be acquitted. Rimsha's life is so imperilled that she must remain in hiding so that Muslim mobs do not find and kill her. Please pray.

RLPB 173. Pakistan: intolerance grows; child accused of blasphemy. (plus Iran update)

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 173 | Wed 22 Aug 2012

PAKISTAN: INTOLERANCE GROWS; CHILD ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY
(plus IRAN: Nadarkhani update)

By Elizabeth Kendal

Pakistan celebrated its 65th birthday on 14 August. Founded by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a member of the Shia religious minority, Pakistan was initially established on a foundation of secularism and equal rights for all. Today, however, after decades of Saudi-sponsored Islamisation, Pakistan is the exact opposite of what it was founded to be. Abductions of Christian and Hindu girls are on the rise. According to the parents, these young girls are being forcibly converted to Islam and married off to Muslim men. According to the Islamists, none of the conversions have been forced. The rise in incidence has triggered debate in the media and a Hindu exodus from Sindh Province, prompting President Zardari to call for a law banning forced conversions. Sunni jihadist violence against the Shia minority has also increased. On 16 August a bus en route to Gilgit was stopped by men in military uniforms just 100km north of Islamabad. The 'officers' then dragged at least 20 Shi'ites from the bus and executed them. It was the third such attack on that road in six months. As a minority throughout the South Asian sub-continent, Christians are the most vulnerable of all.

In June 2009 a Christian woman Asia Bibi (41, married mother of five) was abused before being accused of blasphemy and arrested. In November 2010 a court sentenced her to death by hanging. Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti (a Christian religious freedom activist) were both assassinated in early 2011 (January and March respectively) for opposing the blasphemy law and publicly supporting Asia Bibi.

On Thursday 16 August 2012 Rimsha (11), daughter of Misrak Masih, a resident of the Meherabadi Christian slum colony on the outskirts of Islamabad, was arrested on charges of blasphemy. Initially, police had been reluctant to act on the complaint because the accused is merely a child. However, after hundreds of enraged local Muslims surrounded the police station, blocked the Kashmir Highway for hours and threatened to take matters into their own hands, police took Rimsha, her mother and her sister into 'protective custody' -- they had been severely beaten by the mob. Not only is Rimsha a juvenile, she is illiterate and mentally impaired. Her mental impairment has left her unable to go to school or mix with other children. Consequently Rimsha spends her days wandering through the slum. Reportedly, locals complained that Rimsha had been 'moving suspiciously' in the district, carrying a 'shopping bag'. Actually she had been collecting papers from garbage bins to use as fuel in the family's stove. When suspicious Muslims entered Rimsha's home, they allegedly found her holding burnt pages which had Islamic text and Qur'anic verses printed on them. (They were pages from the Noorani Qaida, a Qur'an reading education program.) At that point, Syed Muhammad Umma was sent to register a complaint against the child.

On Friday 17 August the court ruled that Rimsha be remanded in custody for 14 days, pending further investigation. Understandably, Rimsha is confused and traumatised. Death threats from fundamentalist Muslims have driven over 300 members of the neighbourhood's Christian community to flee for their lives. (Some reports put the figure as high as 1000.) The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) is providing assistance to the displaced Christians. Paul Bhatti, the National Harmony Minister, APMA Chairman and brother of the martyred activist Shahbaz Bhatti, has appealed to Islamic clerics and police to bring the situation under control as there has been widespread looting.

Leading political figures such as President Asif Ali Zardari and opposition politician Imran Khan have spoken out against the 'shameful' and 'un-Islamic . . . abuse' of the blasphemy law. Whether they are courageous enough to take on the Islamists who have martyred previous anti-blasphemy advocates is another matter. However, this is not just about law. The problem is profound, deeply ingrained, ideological, religious hatred. Rimsha and her family -- like Asia and her family -- will need asylum in the West if they are to survive this. 

For more on the plight of Pakistan's religious minorities, visit:
Heart And Soul (BBC radio)
"The Trouble with Pakistan's White Stripe"
Mobeen Azhar looks at the growing persecution of minorities and the power of fundamental Islamists in Pakistan. (Two excellent 28 minute audio programmes)

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL --

* be a very real and present source of strength, comfort and protection to young Christian girls who have been abducted, forcibly converted to Islam and married off to Muslim men; may they not lose faith or hope; and may the LORD rescue and restore them for his name's sake.
'For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.' (Isaiah 30:18b ESV)

* intervene for Asia Bibi and her family and for Rishma and her family, so these gravely imperilled believers might be free to live in security.

* redeem all this appalling suffering, and use it to shame and awaken Pakistani Muslims to the ugliness that has engulfed them, softening their hearts to the Good News so that they and even their whole communities can be radically transformed. (Isaiah 2:2-4)

SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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PAKISTAN: INTOLERANCE GROWS; CHILD ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY

Decades of Saudi-sponsored Islamisation have turned Pakistan ugly. Violence against religious minorities is constantly on the rise. There has been an increase in the number of young Hindu and Christian girls being abducted, forcibly converted and married off to Muslim men, whilst the blasphemy law continues to be wielded as a weapon of persecution. On 16 August, an illiterate, mentally impaired 11-year-old girl, Rimsha, burnt papers collected from local bins as fuel in the family stove. She was arrested because the papers reportedly bore Qur'anic verses. Rimsha, her mother and sister have been taken from their home in a Christian colony on the outskirts of Islamabad into 'protective custody', pending investigation. Pakistan is simmering with religious hatred. Please pray for Pakistan's besieged and imperilled Christians.

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IRAN: URGENT UPDATE ON PASTOR NADARKHANI
Reportedly, Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (34, married with two sons), who was sentenced to death for apostasy in 2010, will be re-tried on 27 August (although some reports say 8 September). This time the charges are 'banditry and extortion'. The regime is possibly seeking to convince Nadarkhani's supporters that he is a criminal unworthy of their support. Alternatively, by launching a new trial with unprovable accusations, the regime may be seeking to 'wash its hands' publicly of Nadarkhani and release him to the Islamists and secret police while declaring itself 'innocent of this man's blood' (after the manner of Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27:24, as has happened before in Iran). No matter what happens, Youcef Nadarkhani and his family will be greatly in need of our prayers. Please pray for Iran's Christian prisoners.

RLPB 148. Feb. Update; Incl. Burma, Sudan, Syria, Kashmir, Iran, Nigeria, Somalia

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 148 | Wed 29 Feb 2012
By Elizabeth Kendal

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:5 ESV)

FEBRUARY 2012 UPDATE -- During February we prayed concerning . . .

EGYPT (RLPB 144), where Christians, especially indigenous Copts, are facing increasing levels of insecurity as Islam rises and dhimmitude (religious apartheid) returns.

BURMA (RLPB 145), where up to 60,000 displaced Christian Kachin are struggling to survive without aid. [Reminder: Burma Day of Prayer -- Saturday 17 March 2012. Resources.]

UPDATE: God answers prayer! On 24 February an agreement was reached between the UN and Burmese government officials that should allow aid to reach some 45,000 displaced Kachin presently sheltering in camps and churches in areas controlled by the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO). Please persist in prayer for there is no word yet on when the UN aid convoy will depart. Meanwhile, the situation remains dire for some 20,000 displaced Kachin stranded at the China-Burma border.

SUDAN (RLPB 145 & 147), where genocide by the Arab-supremacist, Islamist regime in Khartoum against the predominantly Christian African Nuba of the 'new south', is well under way.

UPDATE: New York Times correspondent Nicholas Kristoff slipped into South Kordofan in late February. He describes the situation as a 'mass atrocity . . . a government starving its people, massacring them, raping them, and bombing them . . .'.

ESCAPE ROUTE OPENED: Since early February we have been praying for God to open the escape route south (see RLPB 145, which uses Exodus 14 as our precedent for prayer). On Sunday 26 February a newly-formed rebel alliance of groups from South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur, the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF; also known as the Kauda Alliance), won their first ever military victory over Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) troops. The SRF liberated Taruje and the strategic SAF garrison at Jau, close to the South Sudan border. According to a spokesman from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N), as well as killing 130 SAF troops, the SRF seized three tanks, some 200 vehicles, hundreds of weapons and dozens of heavy artillery and opened a 'completely clear and safe' route for refugees. Predictably President Omar al-Bashir is blaming South Sudan (which was not involved) and threatening a military response. Tensions are soaring. Please continue to pray. The way has been opened. Now the refugees need to escape and the LORD needs to frustrate any SAF pursuit. Please continue to pray that the LORD will fight for the Nuba (Exodus 14:14) so that all Sudan will know that God is the LORD (Exodus 14:18).

MIDDLE EAST (RLPB 146), where Christians are increasingly persecuted and vulnerable in the wake of the so-called 'Arab Spring'.

SYRIA (RLPB 147), where Christians presently suffering the depradations of war fear outright slaughter if the Assad regime falls.

UPDATE: Syrian sources have told Barnabas Fund that Sunni jihadists are invading and pillaging house after house and that around 70 homes belonging to Christians in Homs have been thus affected. Forced to live in the crossfire, without electricity and with supplies of water, food and medicines declining, Christians are saying they would flee if only there were the opportunity. Two martyrdom brigades of Islamists have formed in Homs this past month: the Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade and the Al Nusrah Front to Protect the Levant. The Catholic Archbishop of Damascus, Maronite Samir Nassar, says the situation in the country is spiralling out of control, with Syria becoming an arena of international conflict over competing political, military and economic interests.

FEBRUARY 2012 ROUND-UP -- also this month . . .

INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR: CHRISTIANS FORCED TO REVERT TO ISLAM
(Further updating RLPBs 142 & 143) Kashmiri Christians are now being pressured violently to revert to Islam by Islamic fundamentalists committed to ending 'apostasy'. The persecution has forced several local Christian ministries to close and is driving churches underground. Many Christians are fleeing. One madrassa (Islamic school) has boasted it is presently working on 115 Kashmiri Christian converts after having already reverted around 150 converts over recent months. Slanderous, sensational disinformation is proliferating. (See: Kashmiri Christians forced to revert to Islam, by Elizabeth Kendal for Religious Liberty Monitoring (14 Feb 2012)) After undertaking a 10-day investigative trip, the Catholic Christian Secular Forum (CSF) has prepared the report 'Religious Liberty and Persecution in Kashmir' which they will present to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shortly. CSF is calling on the Indian government to 'put an end to the persecution carried out in the state under the garb of Sharia law'.

IRAN: REPRESSION AND PERSECUTION ESCALATING
According to Iranian sources, a lower court has signed execution orders for Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (34), making his execution imminent. The government is denying the claim. Arrested in 2009 and sentenced to death for apostasy in 2010, Youcef (married with two young sons) has refused to renounce Christ, even in exchange for his freedom. Other Christian leaders arrested during February include Ms Giti Hakimpour (78) a leader at St Luke's Church in Esfahan and Mr Hekmat Salimi, pastor of the official Church of St Paul in Esfahan. According to Middle East Concern, government officials issued orders on 10 February to Emmanuel Protestant Church and St Peter's Evangelical Church to end their Friday Farsi-language worship services. They were the last two official churches in Tehran offering services on Fridays in the local language.

NIGERIA: BOKO HARAM TARGETS CHURCH
Whilst the situation is dire, we can thank God that though the two most recent church bombings were designed to cause maximum carnage, to a large degree they were frustrated. The bomb that exploded outside Christ Embassy Church in Suleija on Sunday 19 February was massive, yet no worshippers were killed. One member returning from inside the church to his car noticed a bag placed between his car and the next. Finding it contained a huge bomb he called security. All the worshippers were gathered inside the church while bomb disposal police were called. Around 25 minutes later the powerful bomb exploded, killing five people, mainly spectators across the road. Had the bomb exploded while worshippers were leaving after the service the result would have been devastating. Similarly, in Jos on Sunday 26 February a suicide bomber had planned to ram his bomb-laden car into the front of Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) church to cause total carnage and maximum casualties. However, as he smashed through the church's security gates a tyre blew out, stopping the car, and the gas cylinder needed to maximise the blast fell out of the boot. Whilst three worshippers were killed -- a woman who was struck by the car and a father and son killed by shrapnel inside the church -- the toll would have been ten-fold had the bombing gone to plan.

On 22 February jihadists in Maiduguri murdered a believer, Shetu Haruna Malgwi (79), who was mother of a local pastor. They slit her throat, placed a Bible under her feet and left a note written in Arabic on her chest. The note, believed to be for her son, said, 'We will get you soon.' Strong as Boko Haram is now it is affiliated with al Qaeda, God is still stronger. Please pray for the church in Nigeria. 'The LORD . . . frustrates the ways of the wicked (Psalm 146:9 NIV).

SOMALIA: ANOTHER SOMALI CHRISTIAN MARTYRED
Compass Direct News (CDN) recently reported that on 2 January militants belonging to al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab beheaded yet another Somali believer. He was Zakaria Hussein Omar (26) who worked for a Christian humanitarian organisation recently banned by al-Shabaab. According to CDN, Omar converted to Christianity seven years ago while living in Ethiopia. He returned to Somalia in 2008 and married in 2010. 'For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears . . .' (Lamentations 1:16a ESV) May the 'God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction' (from 2 Corinthians 1:3,4) bring comfort to the besieged and traumatised church in Somalia.

RLPB 143. Jan. Update; Inc. Nigeria, Kashmir, Iran, Laos, Somalia, Sudan.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 143 | Wed 25 Jan 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

JANUARY 2012 UPDATE -- During January we prayed concerning . . .

NIGERIA (RLPB 140 & 141), where al Qaeda-affiliate Boko Haram is escalating its terror campaign across Northern Nigeria.

UPDATE: A string of coordinated bombings (including suicide bombings) targeting police rocked Nigeria's second largest city, Kano, after Friday prayers on 20 January. The death toll at present is 185, but is continuing to rise. In claiming responsibility, Boko Haram reiterated that it was not fighting the Nigerian people per se, only those responsible for arresting Boko Haram members. In a highly offensive statement peppered with dangerous, inflammatory disinformation, Boko Haram declared: 'Our fight is against the government that is waging war against Islam, the security services and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) -- an organisation that has been killing Muslims and even perpetrated cannibalism by eating their flesh.'

On Sunday 22 January, 10 people were killed in a pre-dawn gun battle between police and Boko Harram militants in the town of Tafawa Balewa in Bauchi State. Then, at about 5 am, three bombs exploded at two churches in Bauchi City. Whilst the Evangelical Church for Win All (ECWA) suffered only minimal damage at its perimeter, Our Lady of St Lauretto Catholic Church was completely destroyed. There were no casualties. In Kano, police conducting 'bomb recovery' searches found ten bomb-laden cars and 'over 300 unexploded devices'. The violence is causing many Northern Christians to flee their communities. In Minna, the capital of Niger State, a Christian missionary home that cares for orphans and children from impoverished families was torched on 23 January. According to its owner, Pastor Isaac Ogwu, Mission Field Coordinator of Missionary Alliance for Africa, it was the fifth time 'Bethany Home' had been targeted in recent days. Whilst residents had managed to contain previous fires, this time the entire property was engulfed and all its buildings razed. Fortunately the children were all evacuated unharmed. Such an attack is likely to have been perpetrated by local Muslims sympathetic to Boko Haram and eager to exploit the chaos.

NORTH KOREA (RLPB 141), where repression is likely to escalate as the regime of Kim Jong-un consolidates.

KASHMIR (India -- RLPB 142), where on 11 January two Christians were convicted in Kashmir's Sharia Court of hurting Muslim sentiment and threatening communal harmony by engaging in 'unethical' conversions.

UPDATE: On 19 January Srinagar's self-appointed Supreme Court of Islamic Shariat issued a decree mandating the expulsion of Punjabi Protestant pastor MC Khanna along with his wife, Kanta, and associate, Gayoor Masih, as well as Dutch Catholic missionary Father Jaap (Jim) Borst. It was claimed they were involved in 'unethical' conversions. A case against a fifth Christian, Parvez Sameul Koul, principal of Tyndale Biscoe School, is under investigation. Faced with a steady trickle of conversions to Christianity, Kashmir's Islamists have committed themselves to eliminating fitna (anything that could shake the faith of a Muslim), particularly the fitna that arises from Biblical Christianity. [For more details see Religious Liberty Monitoring: Eliminating Fitna in Indian-administered Kashmir.]


JANUARY 2012 ROUND-UP -- also . . .

IRAN: REPRESSION ESCALATES

At a recent conference on 'New-Age Cults' in Varamin, a county south of Tehran, Iranian cleric Akhond Mohsen Alizadeh epitomised the regime's mindset when he described 'evangelical Christianity' as 'the most horrifying intelligence and security organisation in the world'! Also in January, the regime issued regulations giving Internet cafes 15 days to install cameras and start collecting detailed information on all users. The regime is preparing to launch its domestic (internal) intranet. Designed to shield Iranians from all 'un-Islamic' influences, this 'halal' (permissible) intranet will eventually replace the (worldwide) internet. Earlier this month, imprisoned Protestant pastor, Yusuf Nadarkhani, was given the opportunity to secure his release from prison. All he had to do was to renounce Christ indirectly by affirming that Mohammed was a prophet of God. The faithful, long-suffering pastor refused. Consequently he remains incarcerated on death row, separated from his wife and sons. If the regime cannot break him but believes it cannot risk his execution, then it may well opt for an 'accidental' death. Pray for Yusuf, his family and the Church in Iran.


LAOS: DETENTION, TORTURE AND CHURCHES CONFISCATED

On 16 December 2011 Lao police arrested seven Christian leaders after authorities in Boukham village, Savannakhet Province, complained that the beliefs of the Christians 'violated the village's hiit' (traditional customs and spirit beliefs). The Christians were incarcerated in wooden stocks, tortured and told they would only be released if they 'confessed' to their crimes and paid massive fines. When they were unconditionally released in mid-January, each Christian was suffering from the effects of torture, including severe swelling, bruising and infections in their legs caused by the stocks. Lao authorities are reportedly planning to expel at least 47 Christians men, women and children from Natoo village, Savannakhet Province. Until then, the Christians of Natoo continue to worship the Lord in their homes. Meanwhile, Lao authorities have confiscated the Nadaeng Church building and the Dongpaiwan Church building. Many other churches are believed to be at risk. Laos, home to some 200,000 Christians comprising over 3 percent of the population, is one of the world's worst persecutors. The ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party (Communist) has long been open about its intention to eliminate Christianity. Pray for the Church in Laos.


SOMALIA: CONVERT FLOGGED PUBLICLY

On 22 December 2011 al Shabaab Islamic jihadists publicly flogged Sofia Osman (28) for embracing a 'foreign religion'. Sofia, a believer for four years and member of the underground church, was paraded before a jeering crowd before being lashed 40 times in front of several hundred abusive spectators. According to an eye witness, the lashing left Sofia lacerated and bleeding. 'I saw her faint', the eye witness said. 'I thought she had died.' After the flogging, Sofia's parents took her away. Sofia had been in al Shabaab custody for over a month. She is so traumatised that nobody has been able to learn what she suffered during her captivity. She has been relocated for her own safety. Please pray for Sofia and her family. Pray for the besieged, imperilled Church in Somalia.


SUDAN: REGIME THREATENS PASTORS

Addressing cheering crowds on 3 January 2012, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir reiterated his pledge to advance the Islamisation of Sudan in the wake of the secession of the South. That same day, Sudan's Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments sent letters to leaders of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SPEC), threatening to 'take legal procedures against pastors who are involved in preaching or evangelistic activities'. The letter also warned that all pastors must comply with new regulations requiring them to provide their names and contact information to the authorities.

On 17 January police arrested evangelist James Kat of the Evangelical Church of Sudan, alleging he was using the place of worship as his place of residence. After being beaten and intimidated, Kat was released on bail the same day. On 15 January a band of armed militiamen (rebel southerns backed by Khartoum) broke into a Catholic compound in Rabak, just south of Khartoum, accusing the parish of harbouring a former member of the oppositional Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). Along with computer equipment and other valuables, the militants took two priests, Father Joseph Makwey and Father Sylvester Mogga. According to Bishop Daniel Adwok, an auxiliary of the Khartoum archdiocese, militants are operating right across Sudan with complete impunity, intimidating 'Southerners' and pressuring them to leave.

128. Will Iran risk this execution?

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 128 | Wed 05 Oct 2011

WILL IRAN RISK THIS EXECUTION?

By Elizabeth Kendal

As was reported in RLPB 127 (28 Sep 2011) the trial court has ruled that whilst Youcef Nadarkhani was not a practising Muslim before his conversion to Christianity, he is an apostate because of his Muslim ancestry. As mandated by the Supreme Court, Pastor Nadarkhani was brought before the trial court on 25, 26, 27 & 28 September and provided with a daily opportunity to renounce Christ and return to Islam. Those who maintain that this blatant disregard for religious liberty is contrary to Islam are wrong. Some schools of Islamic jurisprudence maintain that three opportunities should be provided on the grounds of Sura 4:137. Other schools of Islamic jurisprudence maintain that no opportunity should be given on the grounds of Sura 2:217 that deems fitna (anything that shakes the faith of a Muslim) worse than killing. Also the Hadith (sayings of Muhammad) is very clear: 'He who changes his [Islamic] religion, kill him.' (Sahih Al-Bukhari (9:57)) This is about Islam and politics: sanity has really nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, standing firm in his faith, Youcef Nadarkhani has refused each opportunity to renounce Christ and return to Islam.

The case has caused an outcry in the West -- not 'internationally', as is widely reported -- with Western leaders decrying the situation as appalling and demanding Pastor Nadarkhani's immediate release. But, it must be noted, no such outcry is emerging from the Muslim world or from the regimes behind emerging powers such as China or Russia, or from the UN. Furthermore, as noted in RLPB 126 (21 Sep), Iran is working hard to exploit the Arab uprisings with the aim of drawing Sunni Arab Islamists into the Iranian (political) axis. As Islam rises and Western leverage and influence declines, the Iranian regime may decide that a stand for Islam in defiance of the West can only profit them.

Now that the court has confirmed Nadarkhani is an apostate and sentenced him to death, the regime has three options. It may: (1) defiantly execute Pastor Nadarkhani for apostasy, making a stand for Islam in defiance of the 'colonialist' and 'Christian' West; (2) condemn Nadarkhani's apostasy, confirm his death sentence and then release him in a very public 'humanitarian' gesture before making sure he is quietly eliminated by the secret services. This is exactly what Iran did in 1994 in the case of Pastor Mehdi Dibaj. The Church will get the message, even if the Western political and journalistic elite do not. Or it may (3) change the charge to one that otherwise discredits the accused and evokes revulsion (such as rape), and for good measure throw in a charge that, according to the constitution, is punishable by death or life imprisonment (such as treason).

Presently it appears Iran is considering using strategy (3): the false charge -- used against Christianity from its earliest days. Today, all over the non-free world, the false charge remains the most common means of removing 'problematic' Christians. Christians currently languish in prisons in China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and elsewhere after being falsely charged and slandered as drug traffickers, swindlers, rapists, blasphemers and threats to national security.

The West needs to talk to Russia, Iran's Orthodox ally, to ensure that if any harm comes to Nadarkhani severe sanctions will make it costly for Iran. The Iranian regime will only execute Nadarkhani if they believe that in doing so they stand to gain more than they would lose. If Pastor Nadarkhani were executed or assassinated, it would indicate that the Iranian Church is facing a whole new level of defiant, politically motivated, unrestrained persecution by the regime.

Further to all this, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that on 14 September eleven Iranian Christians who had previously fled Iran received emailed threats from a group calling itself 'The Unknown Soldiers of the Hidden Imam [the Mahdi: the Shi'ite Messiah]'. The letter -- presumed to be from the Iranian secret police -- demanded that the Christians repent and return to Islam, warning that if they refuse they will be killed. The threats are being taken very seriously.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY --

* that God will redeem the suffering of Iran's Church, so that this persecution will actually have the opposite effect to what is intended. 'For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.' (Habakkuk 2:14 ESV)

Lord, have mercy on Iran.
Awaken its people to the truth: for the sake of the Church;
for the sake of multitudes who are lost;
and that God might be glorified throughout the world.

* that God will fill Youcef Nadarkhani, his family and church with a powerful outpouring of his Holy Spirit, that they will boldly exercise faith, know his peace, display his grace and reveal his majesty.

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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WILL IRAN RISK THIS EXECUTION?

From 25-28 September Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani resisted four opportunities to renounce Christ before an Iranian court and return to Islam. He therefore stands condemned as an unrepentant apostate sentenced to death. Due to the outcry emanating from the West, Iran is now considering altering the charge to rape and treason so they can maintain that nobody is being executed for religious belief. The Iranian regime will execute Pastor Nadarkhani only if they believe that would gain them more than they will lose: influence in the Islamic world versus sanctions. Furthermore eleven Iranian Christian refugees living abroad have received letters, presumably from the Iranian secret police, threatening them with death if they do not repent and return to Islam. Please pray for the Nadarkhani family and for the Church in Iran.

127. Sept. Update; Incl. Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Sudan

By Elizabeth Kendal

'What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Christ?' Pilate asked. They all answered, 'Crucify him!' (Matthew 27:22 NIV) 'If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.' (John 15:18)

SEPTEMBER 2011 UPDATE -- During September we prayed for . . .

NIGERIA (RLPB 124), where ethnic Muslims in the volatile ethnic-religious fault-line city of Jos have been raiding ethnic Christian communities at night, inflicting terror by slaughtering unarmed civilians in their beds, doubtless with the aim of triggering an exodus. This is nothing short of ethnic cleansing. Those who commit these night-time invasions -- which are like the night-time invasions that characterised the 1990s jihad in Algeria -- doubtless justify their actions from the Qur'an: 'How many a township have we destroyed! As a raid by night, or while they slept at noon, our terror came unto them.' (Sura 7:4.)

UPDATE: NIGERIAN JIHAD

TERROR IN KADUNA STATE. On Sunday 18 September some 20 Fulani herdsmen stormed a Christian farming community in Bitaro village, Jaba Local Government Area of southern Kaduna state about 1am as the villagers slept. Armed with machetes and knives, the Muslims killed two men (both husbands and fathers) and a 13-year-old girl and wounded at least 10. Though notified immediately, police arrived too late to apprehend the attackers. Soldiers have been deployed to guard the area.

TERROR IN NIGER STATE. About 8pm on Thursday 22 September suspected Boko Haram militants converged on shops owned by Christians in Madala. Demanding the Christians recite verses from the Qur'an, the militants shot and killed those who could not. Five Christian traders were murdered.

TERROR PLANNED FOR ABUJA. On Saturday 1 October Nigeria will celebrate 51 years of independence. Boko Haram has vowed to attack selected high profile targets in the federal capital.

SOMALIA (RLPB 125), a land of terror and martyrdom, where the al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group al-Shabaab is systematically eliminating Somalia's Christians.

IRAN (RLPB 126), where state belligerence and persecution are escalating.

UPDATE ON PASTOR YOUCEF NADARKHANI: The trial court has ruled that, whilst Youcef Nadarkhani was not a practising Muslim before his conversion to Christianity, he is an apostate because of his Muslim ancestry. The Supreme Court has given Youcef four opportunities to renounce Christ and return to Islam, once daily on 25, 26, 27 & 28 September. Youcef will be executed if he does not comply. [Watch Religious Liberty Monitoring for an update.]

SEPTEMBER 2011 ROUND-UP -- also this month . . .

* ALGERIA: CHRISTIAN APPEALING FIVE-YEAR JAIL TERM

RLPB 110 (1 June 2011) reported the14 April arrest of Algerian Christian, Krimo Siaghi, on charges on illegal proselytism and insulting Muhammad. At his 25 May trial the judge imposed a severe five-year jail term along with a massive fine. Krimo's appeal will be heard on Thursday 29 September. Please pray. The verdict will indicate the degree to which the state is or is not prepared to protect religious liberty.

* INDONESIA: CHURCH SUICIDE BOMBING IN SOLO, CENTRAL JAVA

On Sunday 25 September the second worship service at the 700-strong Bethel Full Gospel Church (Gereja Bethel Injil Sepenuh) in Kepunton ended as usual at 11am. At the moment the believers started moving out a suicide bomber detonated his explosives by the main glass doors of the sanctuary. Twenty-two believers were injured -- eleven seriously and one has died in hospital. The bomber was reportedly a member of an Islamist militant cell in Cirebon, West Java. Security has been heightened and police will now screen all church visitors.

* KIRKUK, IRAQ: THREE CHRISTIANS KIDNAPPED

On 21 September, Muslim gunmen abducted three Christian men near Fakhira village, southern Kirkuk. The Christians were ambushed when returning home to Arfa, northern Kirkuk, from a regular hunting trip. The militants killed the Christians' hunting dogs and torched their car before taking them to an unknown location. Iraqi security forces are searching for them. As tensions mount in flash-point Kirkuk, Christians are becoming increasingly vulnerable to ethnic-religious hate crimes, Islamic terrorism and opportunistic criminality including kidnappings. Please pray for God's protection of Iraq's Christian remnant.

* KAZAKHSTAN: NEW LAW WILL HURT MINORITY PROTESTANTS

On 21 September Kazakhstan's Lower House passed the controversial Law on Religious Activity and Religious Associations. Foreign missionaries will now have to re-register annually and anybody who fails the 'theological examination' or is deemed to pose a threat to 'public peace' will be expelled. In a land without a history of religious liberty or tolerance, such a law could cripple Protestant missions as Protestantism is considered 'new' and 'foreign'. Furthermore the law requires churches to have 50 adult members to be registered as a legal 'local' entity. That will be a problem for many small Protestant fellowships as Protestants account for less than one percent of the population. Unregistered worship will be illegal. Also banned is religious observance -- in particular prayer -- in all state institutions. According to the government, the legislation is designed to 'protect the people of Kazakhstan from pseudo-religious movements and cults'. The Senate is expected to approve the law and President Nursultan Nazarbayev reportedly plans to sign it. Protestants are already facing escalating repression, with one Baptist pastor lamenting to Forum 18: 'A new wave of persecution has begun once more.' Please pray that God will grant Kazakhstan's Christian leaders courage, faith and divine wisdom to face the storm.

* SUDAN: WAR ESCALATES IN BLUE NILE

[Updating RLPB 124 (7 September) and Religious Liberty Monitoring 'Sudan: War spreads across "new south" into Blue Nile' (13 September)]. The Arab-supremacist Islamist Government of Sudan has been bombing the Blue Nile capital, Kurmuk. Humanitarian agencies have been targeted, including the office of Save the Children. Insecurity has forced the state's only hospital to close. Satellite Sentinel Project imagery reveals a massive mobilisation of Sudan Armed Forces -- including some 3000 troops along with tanks, artillery, and helicopters -- travelling south from Khartoum to Blue Nile. Everything indicates a major military invasion is imminent. Without international action to disable Khartoum, civil war will engulf the country and impact the whole region. Sudan and South Sudan are accusing each other of supporting the other's rebel forces. Tensions are high. Please pray for the Church in Sudan.

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126. Iran: State violence & persecution escalating

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 126 | Wed 21 Sep 2011

IRAN: STATE VIOLENCE & PERSECUTION ESCALATING;
pray for Youcef Nadarkhani trial verdict 25 September.

By Elizabeth Kendal

Under President Mahmud Ahmadinejad Iran has become more assertive in its quest to lead the Muslim world in Islamic Revolution. The regime has been greatly aided towards this by the war in Iraq which has dramatically altered the balance of power in the Middle East. To woo Arabs and Sunni Muslims into its axis, ascendant Iran is cranking up its anti-Israel and anti-US rhetoric while taking every opportunity to demonstrate its superior Islamic credentials. Support for international terrorism, state violence and religious persecution are at an all-time high. The American Centre for Law and Justice reports at least 285 Christians were arrested in 35 cities in Iran during the first six months of 2011 without any public reaction.

It is in this climate that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's 25 September trial court review will be heard. Youcef (32) was arrested in October 2009 while trying to register his church. He has been in prison since October 2010, when the trial court found him guilty of apostasy and sentenced him to death by hanging. On 28 June 2011 the Supreme Court in the Shia holy city of Qom upheld the apostasy conviction and death sentence but returned the case to the trial court for a final review. If on Sunday 25 September the trial court deems Youcef Nadarkhani was indeed a Muslim before his conversion -- and it may well determine he was a Muslim at birth -- the apostasy conviction and death sentence will stand and the court will be free to execute him.

All Youcef Nadarkhani has ever had to do to leave the brutal and inhumane conditions of prison, avoid the gallows and return to his wife and children is renounce Christ and 'return' to Islam. Youcef's lawyer, the notable human rights attorney, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, has been sentenced to nine years jail for defending Youcef and some 20 others charged with apostasy. No doubt all Mohammad Ali Dadkhah has to do to stay free is to abandon the apostates. Avoiding persecution can be easy and very tempting. Perseverance, however, requires immense conviction and inner strength. The spiritual battle must surely be intensive.

If Iran defiantly executes Youcef Nadarkhani and is not affected by Western threats or sanctions, the life of every Farsi-speaking Christian convert from Islam will be imminently imperilled. Over the weekend of 25 September President Ahmadinejad will be in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. Whilst UN matters will doubtless absorb the media -- particularly the proposed bid for Palestinian statehood -- Christians worldwide must not forget the Nadarkhani family and the Christians of Iran.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL --

* fill Youcef Nadarkhani, his wife Fatemah and their two young sons with an overwhelming sense of his love and presence (Romans 8:38,39).

* comfort and assure Pastor Youcef's congregation and indeed the whole Iranian Church that while 'to live is Christ . . . to die is gain' (Philippians 1:21 ESV), for through Christ 'death is swallowed up in victory' (1 Corinthians 15:54).

* receive as a fragrant offering the faithfulness of Iran's martyrs and persecuted Church, blessing it for the furtherance of the gospel in Iran and in the world. 'Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.' (1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV.)

* intervene to direct the thinking of Iran's judiciary so that Youcef Nadarkhani will be delivered and restored -- however humanly impossible that seems. 'You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.' (Psalm 77:14 ESV)


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STATE VIOLENCE & PERSECUTION ESCALATING IN IRAN

The Iranian regime of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad seeks to lead the world's Muslims in Islamic Revolution. To woo Arabs and Sunni Muslims into its axis, Iran is cranking up its anti-Israel and anti-US rhetoric and taking every opportunity to demonstrate its Islamic credentials. Religious persecution is escalating. According to the American Centre for Law and Justice at least 285 Christians were arrested in 35 cities in Iran during the first six months of 2011 without any public reaction. In October 2010 Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was convicted of apostasy and sentenced to death. This death sentence has been delayed for a final review of the case due to be heard on Sunday 25 September. Please pray for this case and the Church in Iran.

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090. Iran: regime hits out at apostasy -- 70 arrested

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 090 | Wed 12 Jan 2011

IRAN: REGIME HITS OUT AT APOSTASY -- 70 ARRESTED

By Elizabeth Kendal

Ethnic Armenian and Assyrian Orthodox Churches in Iran may exist in peace as long as they do not proselytise (i.e. seek converts). It is illegal to preach Christianity in Farsi (the Persian language) just as it is illegal for Muslims to reject Islam (apostasy). The penalty for apostasy is death. So when Muslim Farsi-speaking Iranians convert to Christianity, they must meet and worship in illegal 'underground' fellowships.

Early on 25 & 26 December 2010 armed plain-clothed agents from the infamous Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) raided the homes of Christians known to be converts from Islam and/or active in witnessing to Muslims. As well as confiscating CDs, Bibles, religious books, computers and personal documents, they arrested 25 Christians. Sixteen other Christians listed for arrest were not home at the time of the raids and remain unaccounted for. Further to this there are unconfirmed reports that as many as 50 other mostly young believers have since been arrested. Amongst those detained are five married couples, one of whom has been separated from their two-year-old child and another from their breast-feeding infant. The detained Christians are being interrogated and coerced. Eleven have since been released after signing documents promising to refrain from Christian activity. The detained believers are virtually all converts from Islam.

The governor of Tehran province, Morteza Tamadon, describes Protestants and evangelicals as 'corrupt and deviant' and also accuses them of conducting an 'enemy cultural invasion'. 'The leaders of this movement,' he declared, 'have been arrested in Tehran province and more will be arrested in the near future. Just like the Taliban, who have inserted themselves into Islam like a parasite, [evangelicals] have crafted a movement with Britain's backing in the name of Christianity. But their conspiracy was unveiled quickly and the first blows were delivered to them.' (See: Iran arrests Christian missionaries: official. AFP, 4 Jan 2011)

In June 2010 Protestant pastor Youcef Nadrkhani and his wife Fatemah were arrested in the northern city of Rasht. According to court documents, Nadrkhani has been convicted of apostasy, organising meetings, proselytising, establishing a house church, baptising people, and openly expressing his distaste for Islam. For these crimes he has been sentenced to death while Fatemah has been sentenced to life in prison. The couple have two young children. In September 2010 a court of appeals upheld the death sentence, which is being delayed to give MOIS more time to try to coerce Pastor Nadrkhani to return to Islam. Pastor Behrouz Sadegh-Khanjani, also arrested in June 2010, has likewise been indicted for apostasy and similar 'national security' offences. Nine other believers arrested with him, including his wife, have been released but he has not yet been sentenced.

In October 2010 Iran's intelligence minister said his agents had discovered hundreds of underground church groups, including 200 in the Muslim holy city of Mashad. According to iranfocus.com, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in an October speech that Iran's enemies were behind the underground churches. The director of the Toronto-based Iranian Christian News Agency, Saman Kamvar states, 'Since officials gave these comments, pressure has increased on our community, and the crackdowns have taken a more organised shape.'

It would be a mistake to think only politically about this as it is essentially a spiritual battle.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL:

* demonstrate his supremacy over a belligerent regime that increasingly regards itself as supreme (see Isaiah 37:21-29 where God pronounces judgement on Sennacherib, king of Assyria); may God's hand, God's glory and God's supremacy be evident to all.

* continue his powerful work inside Iran and amongst the Iranian diaspora by his irrepressible Holy Spirit, graciously drawing Iranians out of darkness and despair into light and joy; may revival erupt, transforming the landscape.

* restrain violent hands, shield believers, provide for families, bring the schemes of the wicked to nothing (Psalm 146:9) and may what was meant for evil produce glorious fruit.

* flood the hearts of all Iranian Christians -- particularly those detained, threatened and imperilled -- with the supernatural peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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IRAN HITS OUT AT APOSTASY: 70 ARRESTED

It is illegal in Iran to share Christianity with Muslims or preach the gospel in Farsi, the Persian language. It is also illegal for a Muslim to reject Islam (apostasy). Farsi-speaking Iranian Muslim converts to Christianity must worship therefore in illegal 'underground' fellowships. In September 2010 an appeals court upheld a death sentence against Pastor Youcef Nadrkhani, convicted of apostasy. The sentence is being delayed to give intelligence agents more time to try to coerce Pastor Nadrkhani to renounce Christ and return to Islam. His wife has been sentenced to life imprisonment. They have two small children. In a massive crack-down some 70 believers have been arrested by the authorities since Christmas Day. Most are young converts from Islam. They are being interrogated and coerced. Please pray.

067. Iran: persecution surges

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 067 | Wed 04 Aug 2010

IRAN: PERSECUTION SURGES

Biblical revelation preaches freedom in love. Islam -- like all man-made religions -- demands submission to law. While the God of the Bible demands perfection in love, he freely provides a remedy for sin -- Jesus Christ -- and the Holy Spirit as helper. This is indeed Good News! On the other hand, while Islam demands submission to law, it provides no remedy for sin and so can only culminate in failure. Meanwhile, the dictators of Islam employ religious forces -- Revolutionary Guards, Basij, muttawa, hisba, taliban and others -- to police 'vice and virtue'. To protect their own privilege and hegemony they deny Islam's failure and deflect scrutiny from Islam by blaming the victims. Driven by apostaphobia, they strive to eliminate fitna (anything that could tempt a Muslim to doubt Islam). Sunni reformation (as in Saudi Arabia) and Shi'ite revolution (as in Iran) have only produced repressive, totalitarian police states wracked with poverty, cruelty, despair and disillusionment.

In Iran the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was set up to defend Islam. The Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) was established to eliminate all opposition and dissent which they virtually did through purges, terrors and serial killings. When President Khatami (1997-2004) pressed for reforms in the style of 'glasnost' (openness) and 'perestroika' (restructuring), Ayatollah Khamenei engineered his removal. Through the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad since 2005, the hegemony of the blood-stained IRGC and MOIS hardliners of the 1980s-90s has been restored. The regime has just announced a massive boost in funding for the Basij (state-sponsored Islamic vigilantes) and will establish 7000 new Resistance Bases across Iran. All this is unsurprising, for whilst Christianity requires radical, personal, spiritual transformation, Islam merely demands the enforcement of Islamic law.

Persecution of the Church escalated through 2009, aided because the US no longer has leverage -- due to Iraq, the US now needs Iran more than Iran needs the US. As noted in RLPB 041 (3 Feb 2010), the regime is escalating repression to curtail unrest due to widespread social dissatisfaction and economic distress. A wave of persecution hit the Church in late December 2009 and early January 2010 when many Christians were harassed, interrogated, threatened and arrested. Whilst most have been released on bond, some remain incarcerated and others have been added to their number.

Pastor Behrouz (Marco) Khanjani was arrested on 11 January when he responded to a request from the authorities to come in for questioning in Chiraz. He was bailed on 17 March only to be re-arrested on 16 June. His wife, Fatemeh (Marie) Torkkajouri, was arrested the next day and placed in solitary confinement in Evin Prison. After informing Pastor Behrouz of his wife's fate, the authorities reportedly incarcerated him in 'Plate 100', a dungeon of the intelligence services in Chiraz. Their daughter Esperance is in the care of Muslim family members.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani was arrested in Rasht on 13 October 2009 for protesting the regime's plans to force Islamic education on all children in violation of the constitution. He has reportedly been sentenced to death. Furthermore Pastor Yousef's wife, Fatemeh (Tina) Passandideh, was arrested on 8 June 2010 and is in solitary confinement in Evin Prison. The authorities have threatened to put the couple's children, Yoel and Daniel, in an Islamic institution.

A group of 15 new believers were travelling by bus to the provincial town of Bojnoord on 18 July 2010. Security forces were informed and ambushed and arrested them in the city of Mashhad. After a week of harsh interrogation, believers who signed 'confessions' were freed on conditions including due payment of all bail. Mr Reza (48, also known as Stephen) and Mr Ehsan Behrooz (23) refused to co-operate and so remain incarcerated in the 901st branch of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD WILL:

* fill Iranian believers with courage and faith to face persecution in a way that brings glory to God.

* fill persecuted Iranian believers with the inner peace and joy that comes from trusting the LORD, from assurance of salvation, and from the experience of God as 'sanctuary' (Isaiah 8:14a).

* give all Iranian Christians -- especially pastors -- great spiritual wisdom to be 'wise as serpents and innocent as doves' (Matthew 10:16 ESV).

* awaken multitudes of Iranian Muslims to the deficiencies of Islam (and not just Iranian economics and foreign policy) and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

* enlighten especially the Muslim relatives, friends and neighbours of Iran's persecuted Christians that they may be so shocked and challenged by Islamic injustice, and so surprised and moved by Christian grace, that they will seek love over law and find truth in Jesus Christ.

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PERSECUTION SURGING IN IRAN

Dozens of Iranian believers have been harassed, threatened, detained and tortured in recent months. Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has reportedly been sentenced to death whilst his wife Fatemeh suffers in solitary confinement in Evin Prison. The authorities have threatened to place their two young children in an Islamic institution. Pastor Behrouz Khanjani and his wife Fatemeh are both detained and their daughter is in the care of Muslim relatives. Mr Reza (48) and Ehsan Behrooz (23) were arrested on 18 July and are being held in the Mashhad branch of the Revolutionary Court. Many other arrested believers are now free only because they were coerced into signing 'confessions' and paying bail. Their freedom remains conditional and tentative. Please pray for the Church in Iran facing intensive pressure.