RLPB 461. June Update, incl. North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Turkey, Ethiopia-Eritrea, Nigeria

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 461 | Wed 27 Jun 2018

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)

by Elizabeth Kendal

JUNE 2018 UPDATE -- this month we prayed concerning ...

* NORTH KOREA (RLPB 458) ahead of the US-NK Summit held in Singapore, 12 June.

UPDATE: For all intents and purposes, the historic US-NK Summit was a success. The only people to be disappointed were those with pre-existing biases or unrealistic expectations. Since the summit, North Korea has agreed to return the remains of more than 250 American servicemen who died behind enemy lines during the Korean War (1950-53). Furthermore, North and South Korea have commenced talks on: closer co-operation in the area of sport, resuming family reunions, re-opening the Kaesong Industrial Park, restoring a cross-border military hotline, relocating North Korea's long-range artillery systems away from the border, and connecting the railways across the border.

Meanwhile, Russian officials have visited Pyongyang and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The ultimate goal -- which would be transformative -- is to integrate North Korea into the wider north-east Asia framework. Pray that the issue of political prisoners (including many thousands of Christians) will soon be on the agenda and for wisdom about how the release of political prisoners will be handled, for stability is integral to the process of openness. There can be no doubt that Kim Jong-un has made a significant 'strategic policy shift'. Please continue to pray.

* PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES (RLPB 459), whose suffering is compounded by isolation.

UPDATE --

Pastor Oqbamichel Haiminot

ERITREA: Thank God for the unexpected and inexplicable release of Pastor Oqbamichel ('Oqba') Haiminot of the Kale Hiwot (Word of Life) Church in Asmara, Eritrea. This father of three had spent time in prison in 2003 and again in 2005 during which time he was severely mistreated for refusing to recant his faith. The mistreatment -- which included 10 months in solitary confinement and hard labour in a military camp -- was so severe that he suffered a breakdown and had to be released. Pastor Haiminot was arrested again in October 2007 and imprisoned without charge. After eleven years in an Eritrean prison, Pastor Haiminot is in need of medical care. Please pray for the Haiminot family, that the Lord will sustain and protect them and provide their every need.

IRAN: On 18 June Ramiel Bet Tamraz (an ethnic Assyrian Iranian Christian) [RLPB 373 (30 Aug 2016)], and another believer (a convert) faced Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on charges pertaining to national security. Ramiel's father, Pastor Victor Bet Tamraz, is currently appealing a ten-year prison sentence while his mother, Shamiram Isavi Khabizeh, is appealing a five-year prison sentence, both on similar charges. That a powerful state would persecute a peaceful, faithful family in this way is truly shocking. Ramiel is awaiting the judge's verdict, due any day now.

* TURKEY (RLPB 460), as the nation headed into a pivotal general election.

UPDATE --
THE PARLIAMENT: Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) failed to secure a majority in the parliament (polling only 42.5 percent). However, the ultra-nationalist, extreme-right Nationalist Action Party (MHP) secured 11.1 percent, meaning the AKP-MHP coalition will control over half the seats, and the AKP will be dependent on the MHP to get legislation through parliament, giving the MHP enormous undue influence.

THE PRESIDENCY: Erdogan has claimed victory in the presidential poll, reportedly securing 52.5 percent of the vote. He will govern under a new constitution which grants the president sweeping executive powers [RLPB 401 (5 April 2017)]. Israeli commentator Zvi Bar'el writes: 'With Erdogan's re-election, Turkey faces a future as a purely autocratic state, persecuting political rivals and settling scores ... [Erdogan] will now begin to build the new Turkish Republic in his own image.' Indeed; this is a horrifying scenario. How Erdogan will weather the economic storm now visible on the horizon is anyone's guess. Please pray for Turkey, her Church, and her ethnic minorities.

'We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore ... keep alert with all perseverance,' and pray! (from Ephesians 6:12-18 ESV)


JUNE 2018 ROUND-UP -- also this month ...

* ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: THE PEACE THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING


BACKGROUND: Eritrea is one of the world's most dangerous places for Christians. It has existed in a virtual state of war with Ethiopia since 2002, as Ethiopia has continued to occupy disputed territory in violation of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's ruling. Whilst it is true that powerful people on both sides of the border profit from the status quo, nobody profits as much as Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. He has long used the pretext of the Ethiopian threat to legitimise his suspension of the constitution and his cruel, despotic, totalitarian rule.

On 5 June Ethiopia's new president, Dr Abiy Amhed Ali (41) -- a Protestant Christian convert from Islam who was sworn into office on 2 April -- offered to accept the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's ruling of 2002 to end the war with Eritrea and pave the way for rapprochement. Taken by surprise, Eritrean's President Isaias Afwerki is cautious, acutely aware that peace with Ethiopia would de-legitimise his dictatorship. Analysts believe peace could totally transform both Ethiopia and Eritrea and the strategic trajectory of the Horn of Africa. As with the Korean Peninsula, 'cosmic powers' (Ephesians 6:12) will fight against this peace. For the sake of the long-suffering, severely persecuted Eritrean Church, please pray!

For a detailed analysis see:
'Ethiopia and Eritrea -- Reforms and Resistance,'
by Elizabeth Kendal, Religious Liberty Monitoring, 26 June 2018.


* NIGERIA: CHRISTIAN CRISIS IN MIDDLE BELT

Violence exploded across Barikin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA), Plateau State, on Saturday 23 June. As is all too common now, nomadic Fulani herdsmen (Muslims) had led their cattle to graze on the crops of settled ethnic Berom farmers (Christians). Besieged and abandoned, the Berom farmers had two choices: surrender their crops or defend themselves. Clashes ensued in which five Fulani herdsmen were killed. The Fulani retaliated by launching a massive pogrom against eleven villages across Barikin Ladi LGA as well as some villages in Bokkos and Riyom. So far, more than 200 bodies have been found, although many more local people are still missing. Hundreds more were wounded and dozens of homes were torched and farms ravaged.

The next day, furious Berom youths set up barricades on the Jos-Abuja highway and attacked motorists who looked Fulani or Muslim. While no deaths have been reported, one eyewitness claimed to have seen six bodies on the road. Berom families are furious over military moves to restrict access to the affected areas, thereby preventing families from collecting their dead. Many suspect the military of wanting to conduct a secret mass burial to cover up the extent of the massacre and the complicity of soldiers. The killings are part of a campaign of ethnic cleansing pursuant to Islamic expansion. Whilst the killings are perpetrated mainly by Fulani herdsmen, they are orchestrated and supported by powerful Muslim elements in the mosques, the security services and the government. It is a Christian crisis of monumental proportions. Please pray.

In this 12 minute video (dated June 2017) a farmer in Edo State explains the situation
to Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseke, and appeals for action.
"We beg you. Help to uplift those that are down."
NOTE: Edo is not even Middle Belt; it is deep south.
The Christian crisis might be worst in the Middle Belt, but it is not confined to the Middle Belt.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 459. Prisoners and Captives: Remember Them

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 459 | Wed 13 Jun 2018

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)


PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES: REMEMBER THEM
by Elizabeth Kendal

Prisons in the West are dangerous places because they are full of violent criminals. Fortunately, apart from the occasional miscarriage of justice or irregular abuse of power, citizens are not usually incarcerated for their beliefs or peaceful activity. Meanwhile, in prisons all across the non-Western world Christian prisoners of conscience are threatened, not merely by criminals, but by unsanitary conditions, infectious diseases, untreated illness and extreme mistreatment -- including torture -- at the hands of the authorities. These human rights abuses are enabled by a worldview that diminishes and even negates the Christian's value both as a citizen and as a human being.

Leah Sharibu (15),
 captive of Boko Haram.
RLPB 448 (28 March) 

While thousands of Christians are prisoners of the state, thousands more are 'captives' held by non-state actors -- mainly jihadists. Some captives are girls abducted as slaves and brides. Others are missionaries who were following the model of Jesus, selflessly serving others far from home when they were captured. In such cases the captive's life only has value as long as their bodies can be exploited or the prospect of ransom remains alive.

Compounding the hardship and physical suffering is the crushing heartbreak of separation from family and friends; many have no Christian fellowship and are denied access to the Bible. How vulnerable must these believers be (especially young, new believers) to the devil's fiery darts as he seeks to crush their spirit with doubts about God's presence, faithfulness, goodness and love. Nothing but the shield of faith will do (Ephesians 6:16) ... and this is where we come in. Christian prisoners and captives might grow exhausted and confused, but we will be there, fighting for them.

If a montage of images of today's Christian prisoners and captives were to be assembled, it would form a snapshot of our increasingly global Church. It would be evidence not merely of persecution, but of faith; expressing both the reality of Matthew 10 and John 15:18 - 16:4, and the promise of Genesis 12:3b and Habakkuk 2:14. For today’s prisoners and captives comprise men and women, young and old, Pakistani, Chinese, Indonesian, Nigerian, American, Indian, Colombian, European, Central Asian, Australian, Vietnamese, Iranian, Eritrean, Laotian, Burkinabe, North Korean and more. They are high profile human rights lawyers like Gao Zhisheng (China), humble labourers like Asia Bibi (Pakistan), students like Leah Sharibu (15, a captive of Boko Haram, Nigeria) and foreign nationals like Rev. Andrew Brunson (an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey), Sister Gloria Cecilia Narvaez (a Colombian missionary nun taken captive in Mali) and Dr Ken Elliot (an 83 year-old Australian missionary doctor taken captive in Burkina Faso). There are far too many to name; but praise God, he knows and loves each one and in faithfulness, never ever leaves them (Matthew 28:20).

Jeff Woodke, speaking in the US (l)
and serving in Niger (r).
Background: RLPB 413 (5 July 2017)

We thank God for the confirmation on 4 June that Jeff Woodke -- an American missionary taken captive in Niger -- is alive and being held captive in the Malian desert. We thank God for the 7 June release into exile of Vietnamese human rights lawyer Nguyen van Dai. We lament with believers whose appeals have been rejected, including Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani (Iran) who returns to prison after his 10-year sentence was upheld on 2 May; and Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton (Vietnam) whose 12-year sentence was upheld on 4 June. We lament over the catechist Mathieu Sawadogo, and his wife Alizeta. Jihadists abducted the couple from their home in Soum Province, northern Burkina Faso, at 4 a.m. on 20 May; presumably they have been taken into the Malian desert.


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* the Spirit of God will powerfully sustain all Christians who are this day prisoners of hostile regimes, or captives of non-state actors. [Captors might be able to control the environment but they cannot control the Spirit of God!] May prisoners and captives find their strength renewed and spirits lifted as if on eagles' wings (Isaiah 40:31); may the Lord intervene for them to provide ministering angels at every turn.  Imagine yourself 'in their shoes' – and pray! 'Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them ...' (Hebrews 13:3 ESV)

* the God of justice and righteousness will intervene to deliver justice for his people. 'But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.' (Amos 5:24 ESV).

* our Lord Jesus Christ will subvert all evil and redeem all suffering so that ultimately all things will 'work together for good' (Romans 8:28) and to the glory of his holy name.


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
-------------------------------------------------------
REMEMBER PRISONERS AND CAPTIVES

Thousands of Christians are in prison for their faith, while others are held captive by jihadists. Men and women, who are Pakistani, Chinese, Indonesian, American, Indian, Nigeria, Colombian, European, Central Asian, Australian, Vietnamese, Iranian, Eritrean, Laotian, Burkinabe, North Korean and more. They include human rights lawyers like Gao Zhisheng (China), humble labourers like Asia Bibi (Pakistan) and foreign nationals like Andrew Brunson (an American pastor imprisoned in Turkey), Sister Gloria Narvaez (a Colombian missionary taken captive in Mali) and Dr Ken Elliot (an Australian missionary doctor taken captive in Burkina Faso). Christian prisoners and captives suffer physically, emotionally and spiritually, and are often exhausted and confused. Imagine yourself in their shoes -- and pray! 'Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them ...' (Hebrews 13:3 ESV). 

------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com

RLPB 457. May Update, incl. Chechnya, Egypt, India, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, Zanzibar.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 457 | Wed 30 May 2018

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)


by Elizabeth Kendal

MAY 2018 UPDATE -- this month we prayed concerning ...

* BURMA (Myanmar) (RLPB 453), where a campaign of ethnic-religious cleansing is underway in the north. Using aerial bombardment and ground forces, the Burmese Army is driving the Christian Kachin from Kachin State's most resource-rich regions. More than 15,000 Christian Kachin have been displaced since the beginning of this year. They join the more than 100,000 Kachin displaced since 2011. Pray for the Kachin and that God will intervene to bring peace to Burma.

* CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR) (RLPBs 454 & 456), where Islamic militias continue to threaten this mostly Christian nation. In mid-April, UN peacekeepers moved against Islamic criminal gangs in the capital, Bangui. Islamic militias vowed revenge. On 1 May heavily-armed rioting Muslims attacked Bangui's Catholic Cathedral, killing 24 and wounding over 100 (RLPB 454). On 13 May two French fighter jets conducted a show of force over the rebel-held front-line town of Kaga Bandoro to deter the Islamic militias which are regrouping there and threatening to 'march on Bangui' (RLPB 456). The state is on high alert. Pray for the Church in CAR and that God will intervene to bring peace.

* RAMADAN (RLPB 455), in particular that Christians will be safe and that Muslims will be saved.

‘The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son . . .’ (Deuteronomy 1:30-31 ESV)

MAY 2018 ROUND-UP -- also this month ...

* CHECHNYA, (South Russia): ISLAMIC STATE (IS) CLAIMS CHURCH ATTACK

On Saturday 18 May four militants armed with guns, knives, axes and explosives and shouting 'Allahu Akbar' attempted to storm the Archangel Michael Russian Orthodox Church in central Grozny. Inside, some 15 believers were engaged in evening worship, while outside, the priest's young children were playing happily in the garden. The church, which was established in the late 1800s, is located in the main tourist precinct, surrounded by shopping malls and cafes. Consequently, Chechen police were quickly on the scene. They shot and killed the four militants and rescued the church-goers and children. Unfortunately the militants had seized two hostages from the church before it was barricaded shut. One believer was killed in the attack and the other was critically wounded. Two police officers were killed and two wounded. IS has claimed responsibility. Pray for the Church in Chechnya and the wider North Caucasus region.

* EGYPT: 'RECONCILIATION' LEADS TO CHURCH CLOSURE

On 14 April Muslims rioted in Beni Meinin, torching Coptic property and attacking the church. This eruption of Islamic resistance was in response to the government's proposal to legalise the village church. Police arrested 11 Muslims and 9 Christians before demanding the village hold a 'reconciliation' session to end the matter [RLPB 452 (25 April)]. With their youths in prison (essentially as hostages), Muslim and Coptic clergy, village elders, local politicians and security officials from the village participated in a 'reconciliation' session. It was agreed that all 20 arrested residents would relinquish their legal rights (meaning none can seek legal redress for arson, looting, assault and suchlike) and the church will remain closed until it is legalised. Subsequently, on 22 May the arrested Muslims and Christians were acquitted and released. Such 'reconciliation' only serves to guarantee impunity, escalate insecurity and perpetuate violent persecution.

* INDIA: ANTI-CONVERSION LAW AS WEAPON

Uttarakhand state in northern India has become the seventh Indian state to approve an 'anti-conversion law'. Governor Krishna Kant Paul signed the ironically named 'Freedom of Religion' Bill into law on 18 April. The law will come into force as soon as the state government finalises the Bill's rules.

(From left) Rajni Pradhan and
couple Sarah and Subash Kumar,
after appearing in court.
See Morning Star News: India

On Sunday 29 April some 50 Christians were worshipping together in a house church in Danapur, Bihar State, when a mob of some 60 Hindu nationalists surrounded the house. The mob harassed, intimidated and threatened the believers while hurling foul abuse. They also called the police and accused the Christians of running a 'conversion racket'. The police arrested several of the Christians, of whom Rajni Pradhan and a couple, Subash and Sarah Kumar, remain incarcerated, accused of 'forcibly converting people'. At a hearing on 8 May, a judge rejected their plea for bail. Also on Sunday 29 April, Hindu militants attacked the Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Baburia Khera, Uttar Pradesh State. They beat worshippers and threatened to kill the pastor, Kamlesh Kumar. To save her husband, Kumar's wife hid him in a locked room. Church member Ram Prasad (55) was beaten unconscious as he tried to shield other believers. A church member called police, but when they arrived the police berated the believers and advised them to 'flee from the church'; no arrests were made. Pray for the Church in India.

* NEPAL: CHURCHES ATTACKED, 'EVANGELISTS' ARRESTED

St Joseph's in better days.

Five churches were attacked in Nepal during May. St Joseph's Catholic Church in Kohalpur, in Nepal's western Banke District, was torched in the early hours of 5 May; the interior was 'entirely destroyed'. On the night of 9 May Hebron Church in Hilihang Rural Municipality, in the eastern district of Panchthar, was partly damaged after being set on fire. On the night of 10 May Emmanuel Church in Doti, in the country's far west, was set on fire; the church sustained significant damage. On 11 May Emmanuel Church in Kanchanpur was set on fire, resulting in significant structural damage. Then on the evening of 13 May Mahima Church in Dhangadhi city, western Nepal, was partly destroyed when an unidentified assailant threw an improvised explosive device through a window.  Fortunately, nobody was killed in the attacks. Police seem determined to blame Maoists, even though Christians have been receiving threats from a Hindu nationalist group. The geographically dispersed attacks were so similar that analysts suspect the perpetrators were part of a Hindu nationalist online community and that the attacks arose from online incitement.

Furthermore, two Nepali believers were arrested on 9 May for singing Christian songs in public. Four others were subsequently arrested from their homes. Charged with evangelism (prohibited in Nepal since 2015), the six faced court on 17 May where they were remanded to spend a further seven days in prison. Pray for the Church in Nepal.

* NIGERIA: CHRISTIANS APPEAL -- 'END THE KILLINGS'

On 22 May a funeral was held in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, for 19 Christians (including two priests) who were massacred on 24 April by Fulani gunmen who surrounded their grass-roofed church in Aya Mbalom village and opened fire.  [Video report by Al-Jazeera.]

Christians rally for an
end to the killings (22 May).
Courtesy: Crux 

It was the second mass funeral for Christian victims of Fulani violence in Benue this year [see RLPB 442 (14 Feb 2018)]. According to Benue State Governor, Sam Ortom, 492 people have been killed in Benue State alone so far this year (which equates to 100 per month). On the day of the funeral, rallies were held in various Nigerian cities where Christians urged the government (in the words of Cardinal John Onaiyekan) to 'end the killings'. Bishops spoke of 'massacres', 'ethnic cleansing' and described people living in 'palpable fear'. Pressure is mounting on President Buhari, a Fulani Muslim from the north.

At 12:30am on Monday 28 May Fulani gunmen attacked Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State. Students were wounded and cars destroyed. The rector, Father Emmanuel Atsue, told Catholic media: 'They shot and injured one of the priests, Father Cornelius Pobah, in the leg, [and] beat up Father Stephen Bakari.' It seems Father Pobah was targeted because he had refused to allow Fulani herdsmen to graze their cattle inside the seminary grounds. The fact that nobody was killed could imply that the Fulani were issuing a warning and that this is far from over. Please pray.

* PHILIPPINES: BOMB EXPLODES OUTSIDE MINDANAO CHURCH

On Sunday 29 April in Koronadal City in South Cotabato, Mindanao, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were detonated in the city. The first IED exploded at noon, just outside the Christ the King Cathedral along Rizal Street, injuring three. The other IED was found in a trash can two kilometres away and detonated by police. Two suspects have since been arrested. Pray for the Church in the southern Philippines.

* TURKEY: PASTOR FACES COURT A SECOND TIME

Update to RLPB 452 (25 April): American hostage of the Turkish regime, Pastor Andrew Brunson returned to court on 7 May. His lawyer Cem Halavurt protested the use of 'secret witnesses', noting that their outlandish accusations were presented without a shred of evidence. At the close of the 10-hour hearing, Brunson (50) was led back to his cell in a maximum-security prison. The next hearing is set for 18 July. World Watch Monitor has a detailed report on the 7 May hearing, while an article by Mindy Belz in World Magazine provides further insight, including a powerful, encouraging and deeply moving account of how our merciful God intervened for Brunson in the courtroom in answer to specific prayer. Both articles are highly recommended. Please continue to pray that God will uphold Andrew Brunson and intervene for his release. Pray for the Church in rapidly-changing Turkey.

Also, for those who are interested: On 29 May 1453, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine [Greek-speaking Christian] Empire fell to Ottoman forces. Now, every 29 May, the Turkish government celebrates 'Conquest Day'. This year President Erdogan released a short but grandiose film, rich in computer-generated imagery, which links the conquest of Constantinople with the defeat of the ANZACs at Gallipoli (1915) and the rise of neo-Ottoman, imperialist, 'Sultan' Erdogan today.

* ZANZIBAR, (Tanzania): CHURCH UNDER PRESSURE

Bishop Daniel Kwileba Kwiyeya.
(Morning Star News)

A church in Kisauni, in mostly-Muslim semi-autonomous Zanzibar, has been facing pressure from local Muslims unhappy about its presence. When Muslims lobbied for the church to be closed, local authorities complied and issued the church with a notice. The church, which belongs to the Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa, is resisting and worshipping as usual. On Sunday 6 May plain-clothed police officers walked into the morning worship service and arrested the preacher, Bishop Daniel Kwileba Kwiyeya. Believers tried to intervene, but to no avail. The bishop's distressed daughter also tried to intervene and was taken away with her father. The distressed believers returned to the sanctuary to pray for Bishop Kwiyeya and his daughter. The pair were released later that day; no charges were laid. Tensions remain; please pray.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 452. April Update. Incl. Burma, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Iran, Korea, Turkey

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 452 | Wed 25 Apr 2018

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)

by Elizabeth Kendal

APRIL 2018 UPDATE -- this month we prayed concerning ...

* ALGERIA (RLPB 449), where a government crackdown on the Church appears to be underway. As political parties and personalities jostle for position ahead of next year's presidential elections, it may be that the ruling party is eager to demonstrate its Islamic credentials.

UPDATE: In breaking news, World Watch Monitor reports (24 April): 'Authorities in Algeria’s north-eastern city of Tizi-Ouzou, in the Kabylie region, have closed down a day-care centre for Christian children. The Early Childhood Home was established more than 10 years ago by Église Protestante du Plein Évangile (The Full Gospel Protestant Church), also known by its French acronym EPPETO. . .'

* CHINA (RLPB 450), where repression and state control of religion are escalating at an astonishing rate. [For China news on a daily basis, visit China Aid Association.]

* VIETNAM (RLPB 450), where Christian religious liberty advocates, Nguyen Van Dai and Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, have been sentenced, along with four others, to long prison terms.

* PAKISTAN (RLPB 451), where Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISK-P) has claimed responsibility for three deadly terror attacks targeting Quetta's already exceedingly vulnerable Christian community.

For an analysis of the threat posed by ISK-P see:
How Much of a Threat is Islamic State Khorasan Province? 
by Elizabeth Kendal, Religious Liberty Monitoring, 23 April 2018.

'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear . . . “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.'  (From Psalm 46)

APRIL 2018 ROUND-UP -- also this month ...

* BURMA (MYANMAR): KACHIN BAPTIST PASTORS RELEASED

Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) pastors Dom Dawng Nawng (65) and La Jaw Gam Hseng (35) were abducted by the Burmese military on 24 December 2016 [RLPB 391 (25 Jan 2017)]. In October 2017 they were sentenced to four years and three months and two years and three months respectively for their alleged association with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), as well as for spying and for 'defaming' the Burmese military. All the men had done to earn the wrath of the military was to help journalists gain access to Mong Ko town after the Burmese military had bombed and torched it. The process was unjust; the conditions were harsh and Dom Dawng Nawng's health was deteriorating. We prayed for God to intervene [see RLPB 433 (21 Nov 2017)]. Morning Star News reports that on 17 April Dom Dawng Nawng and La Jaw Gam Hseng were among 8500 prisoners released under a government amnesty program ordered by newly elected President Win Myint. Elected on 28 March, Win Myint is himself a former political prisoner. Praise God for this blessing. Please continue to pray for Burma.

IMPUNITY RENDERS LAW NULL AND VOID

Most persecuted Christians live counter-cultural lives amidst cultures which put a low value on Christian life, in states with little regard for human rights. When the police and local authorities hate Christians more than they respect the law or their duty to uphold the law, then the result is usually impunity for persecutors. When belligerents know that Christians can be bashed, raped, robbed and even murdered with impunity (i.e. without consequence or punishment), then violent persecution quickly becomes the order of the day. For Christians born and raised in the West, such extreme insecurity is (currently) unimaginable.

* EGYPT: IMPUNITY IN BENI SUEF

Coptic homes burn in Beni Meinin
source: Watani International

On 14 April the church in Beni Meinin, a village in Beni Suef Governorate, came under attack by Muslims furious that members of the state's Building Authority Committee were coming to Beni Meinin to inspect the church building in preparation for legalising its church status. Shouting 'Allahu akbar' (Allah is the greatest) and 'We don't want a church in our village,' they attacked the church with stones and bricks. They smashed windows and doors and destroyed church property. Five Copts were injured. When police arrived they arrested an almost equal number of Muslims and Christians. Two days later, Coptic homes came under attack. Five Copts were arrested while trying to save their homes which were burning due to being hit with Molotov cocktails. The Copts were subsequently charged with setting fire to their own homes.

Pressure is mounting for a so-called 'reconciliation session', which is Egyptian for peace without justice. The plan is that the Muslims will agree to end the violence in exchange for the Christians agreeing to close the church. Then the police will release the prisoners. In another village, Christians relented and closed their church to stop the Muslims from burning their homes. In Beni Meinin, however, the Christians are standing their ground and refusing to close the church. The situation is fluid and dangerous. Incitement is emanating from the mosque and violence is continuing, despite the presence of security forces. The church's presence has been a source of tension for some time. [For more details see Mada Masr (18 April).] Please pray for an end to impunity in Egypt, and especially for the situation in Beni Meinin.

* INDIA: IMPUNITY IN FIROZABAD 

Pastor Rakesh Kumar Masih
 with his wife Asha Masih who
probably saved his life by
refusing to leave his side.
(Morning Star News)

On 23 April Morning Star News (MSN) reported the horrific case of Pastor Rakesh Kumar Masih (42) from Firozabad District in Uttar Pradesh State. On 19 March, a mob of some 35 Hindu militants dragged Pastor Masih from his home and beat him unconscious in the presence of police. When MSN investigated on 13 April, the police denied knowledge of the incident. MSN subsequently forwarded the police a copy of the original complaint first filed on 20 March. Now we watch and wait. It was the fifth such assault against a pastor in the district since January. Please pray for an end to impunity in India.

* PAKISTAN: IMPUNITY IN LAHORE 
On 23 April Christian media reported on the death of Pakistani Christian woman Asma Yaqoob (25) who was burnt alive after she refused a marriage proposal from her Muslim 'friend' Muhammad Rizwan Gujar. As World Watch Monitor explains, police and investigators are clearly preparing the way for the charges against Gujar to be dismissed. Please pray for an end to impunity in Pakistan.

* IRAN: 'DISAPPEARED' CHRISTIAN DETAINED IN EVIN PRISON

On 2 March Iranian Christian convert Aziz Majidzadeh (54) was meeting with a group of 20 other Christians in a workshop near the city of Karaj when security forces raided the premises. Whilst most of the group were released after being interrogated, Majidzadeh, who has been arrested before for activities related to his faith, was beaten and detained. What followed was an agonising period of 45 days of silence in which Majidzadeh's condition and whereabouts were unknown. Then, on the weekend of 14-15 April, he was able to contact his family and inform them that he was being held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, Iran's primary prison for political prisoners. Please pray for Aziz Majidzadeh, for Iran's many Christian prisoners, and for Iran's fledgling but rapidly growing Church.

* KOREA: PRAY FOR INTER-KOREA SUMMIT FRIDAY 27 APRIL

For background and prayer points, please see:
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) 446,
North Korea: A Step in the Right Direction, 14 March 2018

ALSO: RLPB 423, North Korea: Talks the Only Option, 13 Sept 2017
AND RLPB 403, North Korea: Uncertainty looms over long-suffering church, 19 April 2017.

* TURKEY: UPDATE ON PASTOR ANDREW BRUNSON

Pastor Andrew Brunson's trial on charges relating to espionage and terrorism commenced on 16 April.  After one traumatic day in court the proceedings were suspended for three weeks. Brunson will not face the court again until 7 May. In a devastating move, the court remanded Brunson to the overcrowded, grim facility in which he suffered a near breakdown in late 2016, before being transferred. The American Centre for Law and Justice (ACLJ) notes that the 62-page indictment accuses Brunson of the supposed 'crime' of 'Christianisation', calling it an 'act of terror'. With the trial now underway, US pressure on Turkey is mounting. On 20 April 66 US Senators signed a bi-partisan letter to Turkey's President Erdogan demanding Brunson's immediate release. [Letter (pdf)]. In reply, Erdogan reiterated his position that the US cannot expect Turkey to release Brunson while the US refuses Turkey's request that US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen be extradited back to Turkey, essentially confirming that Pastor Andrew Brunson is Erdogan's hostage. Pray for Pastor Andrew Brunson as he 'waits for the Lord' (Isaiah 40:28-31).

* TURKEY: CHURCH INCREASINGLY ANXIOUS

President Erdogan continues to exploit US-Turkey tensions to further fuel the rise of Islamo-Turkish nationalism, which, as history demonstrates, is an exceedingly dangerous phenomenon. Sources report that Christians in Turkey are increasingly being accused of supporting 'terrorists' (code for 'Kurds'). It must be noted that Erdogan revived the language of the Armenian Genocide on national television when in June 2016 he described Turkey's Christian Armenians as 'separatist terrorists'. [See also: Religious Liberty Monitoring, 24 April 2018 (Armenian Genocide Memorial Day).] According to local sources, apprehension and anxiety are growing in the churches. Yet, despite the escalating sense of crisis, Turkish Christian ministries continue to witness courageously, fully aware that spiritual transformation through Jesus Christ is ultimately Turkey's only hope. Please pray for Turkey and for her threatened, yet witnessing, remnant Church.

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Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com 

RLPB 447. TURKEY IN SYRIA: Afrin falls; Christians imperilled (plus update on Pastor Andrew Brunson)

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 447 | Wed 21 Mar 2018

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)


TURKEY IN SYRIA: AFRIN FALLS; CHRISTIANS IMPERILLED
-- plus update on Pastor Andrew Brunson, imprisoned in Turkey

by Elizabeth Kendal

The mostly Kurdish city of Afrin, in the far north-west of Syria's Aleppo Province, fell to Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces on Sunday 18 March. Conflict monitors report that Turkey's eight-week campaign to capture Afrin has cost the lives of more than 280 civilians, more than 1500 Kurdish and allied fighters (including a British volunteer, 26-year-old Anna Campbell) and more than 400 pro-Ankara 'rebels'. According to the Turkish Armed Forces, only 46 Turkish soldiers died in the campaign. Sources report that, apart from Turkish regular troops and special forces, some 25,000 fighters fought under the banner of the FSA, most of whom are battle-hardened Islamists who have previously fought alongside al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS). As reported in RLPBs 439 (24 Jan) and 440 (31 Jan), Afrin's minority mostly Armenian and Assyrian Christians sounded the alarm back in January, warning that the spectre of a Turkey-backed Islamist jihadist ethnic-religious slaughter loomed over Afrin.

Christian Kurds appeal for prayers
 and support (Afrin, 2 Feb)

Despite having been used by the US as the club with which to smash IS in northern Syria, the Kurdish YPG and the mixed Kurd-Arab-Christian SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) found themselves abandoned in Afrin. Lacking any anti-aircraft weapons, YPG and SDF commanders appealed to the US and UN for assistance, in particular for the skies over Afrin to be declared a no-fly zone. Their cries were in vain. On 20 February Syrian government troops deployed to help the Kurds defend Afrin were routed, with dozens killed in a barrage of Turkish shelling and airstrikes. On 24 February the UN Security Council issued a resolution calling on Turkey to implement a ceasefire so that humanitarian aid might go in and civilians might get out. Turkey ignored the resolution. The Apostolic nuncio to Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari, described the situation in Afrin as 'hell on earth' and the worst violence he had ever seen.

Abandoned, encircled, out-gunned and facing the prospect of a protracted and exceedingly bloody urban conflict, the YPG and SDF withdrew -- along with tens of thousands of civilians -- before dawn on 18 March, enabling the Turkish and FSA forces to enter Afrin unopposed. After brief celebrations, the occupying forces set about looting every home and store in the city. The Kurds have vowed to commence a guerrilla-style fight-back against the occupiers, promising to be 'a constant nightmare for them'.  Now that the city (just 40km north-west of Aleppo) has been ethnically cleansed, Turkey's Islamist and neo-Ottoman 'Sultan' Erdogan plans to fill it with Syrian Arab Sunni Islamists who will serve his interests. Erdogan wants to extend his control all the way to the Iraq border. The next town on the agenda is Manbij, which the US-backed SDF liberated from IS in August 2016, and in which come 2,000 US special forces troops remain stationed.

Before Afrin fell, veteran Middle East reporter Dale Gavlak warned that Turkish-backed jihadists were insisting that there will be no room for Christians in Afrin. Kurds (including Yazidis) and Christians (most of whom are Armenian and Assyrian) have now been 'cleansed' out of Afrin. After speaking with local aid workers and human rights activists on the ground, Gavlak reported on 16 March, 'Jihadists allied with Turkey are hunting down religious minorities to kill them in Syria's north-west ... Turkey is using hardline jihadists proxies, including Islamic State and al-Qaeda militants, to eliminate the presence of Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities along its border.' The situation is dire. Those who remember the Armenian Genocide may well have a sense of déjà vu.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* the Lord our Good Shepherd will gather up his children like precious lambs and lead his flock to safety, providing all their needs along the way. (Isaiah 40:10-11)

* our merciful Lord Jesus will make his presence known amongst his traumatised people; may those who are wounded experience healing; may those who grieve and are traumatised be comforted; and may those who are discouraged find reason to hope.

'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV)

* God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, will display his awesome power and sovereign authority and intervene in Syria and wider Mesopotamia, to the benefit of his faithful people.

' ... not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.' (v3, from Psalm 44:1-8 ESV)


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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TURKEY IN SYRIA: AFRIN FALLS; CHRISTIANS IMPERILLED

On 18 March Syria's mostly Kurdish city of Afrin fell to Turkish-backed forces. Fighting alongside Turkish regular troops and special forces were some 25,000 Free Syrian Army fighters, mostly battle-hardened Islamists. Though backed by the US when smashing IS in Syria, the Kurdish YPG and Kurd-Arab-Christian Syrian Democratic Forces found themselves abandoned in Afrin. Though Syrian government forces came to assist, they were routed in a barrage of shelling and air-strikes. Hundreds of civilians have been killed and wounded; many thousands are now displaced from what had long been one of Syria's great safe havens. Sources on the ground report that 'Jihadists allied with Turkey are hunting down [Christian and other] religious minorities to kill them in Syria's north-west [and] along its border'. Please pray for Syria and its Christians!

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UPDATE ON PASTOR ANDREW BRUNSON, IMPRISONED IN TURKEY

Pastor Andrew Brunson in prison
(courtesy World Witness)
Article on prison visit

Pastor Andrew Brunson (50) and his wife Norine (American citizens) had raised a family and ministered in Izmir, Turkey, for more than two decades before being arrested and threatened with deportation in October 2016, in the wake of the failed July 2016 alleged Gülenist coup against the Erdogan government. [Background, RLPB 367, Turkey: Christians Face Elevated Risk (20 July 2016).] Brunson has now been in detention for almost 18 months. When representatives of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) visited him on 5 October 2017, they found him in shock, bewildered, distressed and thin, having lost some 22kg (50lbs) primarily due to stress.

On 16 March the Second High Penal Court in Izmir Province accepted the indictment against Brunson prepared by the Public Prosecutors Office. Brunson is accused of carrying out espionage and organisational activities on behalf of the Gülenist movement, which, ever since his spat with Fethullah Gülen, Erdogan has deemed it to be a terrorist organisation. Prosecutors are demanding at least 35 years in prison: 15 years for 'committing crimes on behalf of terror organisations without being a member' and up to 20 years for 'political or military espionage'. Soner Tufan, spokesman of the Association of Protestant Churches in Turkey, described the ludicrous charges as 'an insult and offence to reason'.

In September 2017 President Erdogan openly and unashamedly linked the plight of Pastor Brunson to that of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999. Erdogan offered to trade with the US, essentially saying you give us our 'pastor' [Gülen] and we will give you yours [Brunson]. As noted in RLPB 389 (21 Dec 2016) Brunson's situation 'is dire'.

* May the Lord sustain, comfort and encourage Pastor Andrew Brunson both in prison and throughout his trial. May all lies and injustices be exposed and denounced. May Pastor Brunson be vindicated, released and reunited with his family.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com

RLPB 445. Mali & Burkina Faso: captives imperilled as battle heats up

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 445 | Wed 7 Mar 2018

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV)

MALI & BURKINA FASO: Captives Imperilled as Battle Heats Up
by Elizabeth Kendal

Map showing conflict zone

The G5 Sahel Cross-Border Joint Force was officially launched in the Malian capital, Bamako, on 2 July 2017. Its mandate includes combating terrorism. The main terrorist entity in the region is JNIM (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin / Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims). Formed in March 2017, JNIM is an alliance of four al-Qaeda affiliates. On 1 July 2017 --  i.e., the day before the Joint Force launch -- JNIM released a disturbing video entitled 'The Correct Equation' in which al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, explains the Islamic doctrine of retaliation (Qisas) ['eye for an eye']. It was in that context that JNIM provided proof-of-life of six captives: four Christian aid workers: Gloria Narvaez (Colombia), Sophie Petronin (France), Beatrice Stockly (Switzerland) and Ken Elliot (Australia), along with Romanian expatriate, Mr Iulian Ghergut, and one South African charity worker who subsequently converted to Islam and has since been released. JNIM's message was clear: you kill our people, we will kill your people; we have six of yours right here; hostages you can redeem with cash. [See: RLPB 413 'Captives in Crisis' (5 July 2017).]

Sr Gloria Narvaez,
in better times.

Since the Joint Force became operational in November 2017 violence has escalated markedly. As fighting escalates, so too does JNIM's need for large quantities of cash. On 29 January JNIM released a video featuring captive Colombian nun Gloria Narvaez. Presenting Narvaez as abandoned, JNIM directed its appeal first to Pope Francis and then to Narvaez's family.

During the night of 13-14 February, French troops operating in north-eastern Mali launched co-ordinated attacks on a jihadist base near Tinzaouaten on the border with Algeria. The assault, in which air strikes were followed by helicopter assaults and engagement on the ground, resulted in at least 20 senior jihadists being killed or captured and a large quantity of weapons and documents being seized. Among the dead were six high level JNIM commanders, including JNIM's co-founder and senior leader, Hasan al Ansari. Retaliation was all but guaranteed.

On 1 March JNIM released a short video featuring French hostage Sophie Petronin. A doctor specialising in nutrition and tropical diseases, Petronin founded and ran the medical charity 'Aide a Gao' (Help Gao). She had served the children of Gao, Mali, for 15 years before being abducted on 24 December 2016. Entitled 'S.O.S, Save Old Sophie', the video shows Petronin (72) lying on a cot looking exceedingly frail with an improvised IV infusion bag and medications nearby. Over the images, audio of French President Emmanuel Macron saying 'I will protect you' plays on a loop. The message is clear: Petronin's health is deteriorating; if you want her alive, you will need to ransom her quickly.

Hours later, on Friday 2 March, JNIM staged a devastating terror attack in Burkina Faso's capital city, Ouagadougou. At least eight jihadists armed with grenades and firearms, working in two groups of four or five, targeted the French Embassy and Army headquarters. Army headquarters was also struck with a massive car-bomb. The brazen co-ordinated attacks in the city centre left more than 30 dead and 85 wounded (ICG analysis 5 March]. On 3 March JNIM claimed responsibility and confirmed that the attack was retaliation for the 13-14 February operation that killed JNIM leader Hasan al Ansari.

On Monday 15 January thousands of local residents took to the streets of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso to mark the second anniversary of the abduction of their beloved doctor. The clinic Dr Ken Elliot (82) built and had run with his wife Jocelyn since 1972 -- which is still the only medical clinic in that remote, impoverished region -- has been closed since Dr Elliot's abduction. Before he was taken, Dr Elliot had been hoping to find someone to take over the practice as the Elliots are long past 'retirement' age. Indeed, the four Christian aid workers presently held by JNIM are not merely suffering believers targeted for their faith. Each one represents a frontline Christian ministry that had been taking the very practical love of God into a dark and desperately needy region. How beautiful in the desert are the feet of those who bring good news ... (inspired by Isaiah 52:7).

'We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places' (from Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV).

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* God Almighty will 'bare his holy arm' (roll up his sleeves) 'before the eyes of all the nations, and that all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God' (from Isaiah 52:10); may the Lord intervene to restore security and liberty to the Sahel -- ridding it of the Islamist-jihadist threat -- so Christian ministry might resume in earnest.

* God will sustain -- physically, emotionally and spiritually -- and ultimately deliver JNIM's five remaining hostages: Gloria Narvaez (Colombia), Sophie Petronin (France), Beatrice Stockly (Switzerland), Ken Elliot (Australia) and Iulian Ghergut (Romania).

* God will not permit the devil to have a victory here; may the Lord call, equip and send out workers into this desolate and needy harvest field (see Matthew 9:35-38).

'I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' (Matthew 16:18 ESV)


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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MALI & BURKINA FASO: CAPTIVES IMPERILLED AS BATTLE HEATS UP

Battles rage between the Mali-based al-Qaeda alliance known as JNIM and the French and G5 Sahel Cross-Border Joint Force troops tasked with combating terrorism in the Sahel. On 14-15 February French troops scored a major victory against JNIM in north-east Mali, killing six of its senior leaders, including its co-founder. On 2 March, having already promised retaliation, JNIM militants co-ordinated attacks in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. The attacks, targeting the French Embassy and Army HQ, left 30 dead and 85 wounded. As violence has escalated so too has JNIM's need for cash. Consequently, JNIM -- which is holding four Christian aid workers and a Romanian for ransom -- has released two videos, featuring two of its five hostages. These captives are gravely imperilled. Please pray that God Almighty will intervene.

-------------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com

RLPB 436. Christian Prisoners: Christmas in Captivity

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 436 | Wed 13 Dec 2017

Please forward this prayer bulletin widely, and encourage others to sign up to the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog. "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (James 5:16 NIV) 

CHRISTIAN PRISONERS: CHRISTMAS IN CAPTIVITY
-- with special focus on Asia Bibi and Gao Zhisheng

by Elizabeth Kendal

'Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them ...' (Hebrews 13:3a ESV).

In Lamentations chapter 3 'the man who has seen affliction' (probably the prophet Jeremiah) tells of his appalling suffering at the hands of 'the rod of his [Yahweh's] fury', i.e., the Babylonians. Having already endured the hardship and hunger associated with the siege of Jerusalem, he now suffers the violence associated with an enemy invasion. He is a captive, chained and enslaved; his bones and teeth broken. It is a truly horrible image. Furthermore, the chapter provides insight into the spiritual and emotional struggle taking place within the victim's soul. 'Filled with bitterness' and 'bereft of peace', all he can do to survive is constantly recall truth which in turn inspires hope.

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." (Lamentations 3:21-24 ESV)

For most Christians, Christmas is a season of immense joy. However, for Christians separated from loved ones and fellow believers due to incarceration or captivity, it can be particularly painful.  Christians are incarcerated in Algeria, Burma, China, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Vietnam and possibly elsewhere. Christians are also being held captive by Islamic jihadists in Mali. In some cases, these believers have infuriated religious dictators with their persistent Gospel witness. In other cases they have threatened corrupt regimes with their persistent truth-speaking.  Meanwhile, some Christian prisoners are simply pawns in a domestic power struggle or a geopolitical game. Whatever the cause of their captivity, we cannot overestimate the ferocity of the spiritual and emotional struggle taking place within these prisoners' souls. Traumatised, isolated and condemned to harsh and often dehumanising conditions designed to break the spirit, Christian prisoners need our prayers!

'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.' (John 1:5 ESV)

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* PAKISTAN: ASIA BIBI, CHRISTIAN PRISONER IN CRISIS


The November showdown between the Pakistan government and the hardline Islamists of the Tehreek-e-Labaik political party [see RLPB 434 (29 Nov)] could well have a devastating impact on Asia Bibi's appeal. Asia Bibi was imprisoned in June 2009 after being accused of blasphemy and was sentenced to death by hanging in November 2010. Her appeal is currently pending in the Supreme Court. However, to end the siege of Islamabad, the government acquiesced to numerous Islamist demands, including: that there would be no difficulty in registering blasphemy cases; that no leniency would be given to those convicted by the courts of blasphemy; and that Asia Bibi (also known as, 'Noreen') will not be allowed to leave Pakistan and that her execution will be expedited. Asia's lead counsel, Attorney Saiful Malook (a Muslim), is risking his life to defend her. Malook prosecuted the case against Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the security guard who assassinated Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in January 2011 over his support for Asia Bibi. Tehreek-e-Labaik formed in the wake of   Qadri's February 2016 execution and Malook has been on an Islamist kill-list ever since. The Supreme Court must decide and the government must uphold that decision. May Asia Bibi not be sacrificed on the altar of appeasement.

Recommended:
Government of Pakistan Bows to Islamists on 'Blasphemy' Suspects, Critics Say
Last chance for saving Aasiya Noreen (Asia Bibi) put in jeopardy.
Morning Star News, by MSN's Pakistan Correspondent, 4 December 2017
------------------------------------------

* CHINA: GAO ZHISHENG, CHRISTIAN PRISONER IN CRISIS


Since his first abduction in August 2006, devout Christian human rights lawyer and religious liberty advocate, Gao Zhisheng, has suffered savage cruelty and dehumanising treatment at the hands of the systemically corrupt and criminal Chinese Communist machine. For refusing to be silenced, Gao has now been returned to 'hell'. [See: RLPB 432, Christian Advocate Confined in 'Infinite Darkness' (15 Nov).] While in prison in 2012, God graced Gao with a vision of the collapse of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Gao was totally convinced the collapse would occur in 2017. Whether he projected that date onto the vision himself or simply misinterpreted an element of it is uncertain. Maybe when the CCP does collapse (which it will) we will see with hindsight that 2017 -- with its escalating Big Brother-like repression, and the 19th CCP National Congress which saw Xi elevated to the heights of Mao -- marked the beginning of the end, as distinct from the end itself. That said, Gao Zhisheng must be incredibly confused and conflicted right now. Doubtless he is experiencing relentless and ferocious spiritual attack. In his book, 'Unwavering Convictions', Gao provides an insight into how he survived three years in darkened solitary confinement in Shaya Prison,  Xinjiang Province (2011-2014): 'For anyone of faith, infinite light and freedom await us when we close our eyes.' Gao will need all the faith, light, truth and hope the Spirit of God can give him if he is to survive this captivity.

Recommended:
Unwavering Convictions
Carolina Academic Press, January 2017.

-----------------------------------------------

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* the Lord to meet, personally and powerfully, with every Christian who is separated from loved ones and the fellowship of believers due to imprisonment or captivity this Christmas season. 'And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' (Matthew 28:20b ESV)

* the Holy Spirit to flood the memory of every Christian captive with the hope-inspiring Biblical truths they will need to get through their trials; may the Holy Spirit help them remember and meditate on truth and trust their Shepherd King who leads his people, though his footprints are not seen (Psalm 77).

* God to intervene on behalf of Asia Bibi. May the Supreme Court and government of Pakistan be empowered and emboldened to secure justice for this family; may God sustain and protect Asia Bibi, her family and her advocate, Saiful Malook.

* God to intervene on behalf of Gao Zhisheng; may Gao's words be read widely to great effect; may none of his work have been in vain. May God sustain and protect Gao Zhisheng; may the devil and his proxies have no victory over him.


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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CHRISTIAN PRISONERS IN CAPTIVITY AT CHRISTMAS

For most Christians, Christmas is a season of immense joy.  For Christians separated from loved ones and fellow believers due to incarceration or captivity, it can be particularly painful.  Christians are incarcerated in Algeria, Burma, China, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Vietnam and possibly elsewhere. Christians are also being held captive by Islamic jihadists in Mali. Some are pastors and evangelists and some are 'prophetic voices' of righteousness, whilst others are simply pawns in a much larger game. Whatever the cause of their incarceration or captivity, we cannot overestimate the ferocity of the spiritual and emotional struggle taking place within these prisoners' souls. Traumatised, isolated and condemned to harsh and often dehumanising conditions designed to break the spirit, Christian prisoners need our prayers!

-----------------------------------------------------

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom (CFF), and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

She has authored two books: Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today (Deror Books, Melbourne, Australia, Dec 2012) which offers a Biblical response to persecution and existential threat; and After Saturday Comes Sunday: Understanding the Christian Crisis in the Middle East (Wipf and Stock, Eugene, OR, USA, June 2016).

See www.ElizabethKendal.com