RLPB 690. Uzbekistan: Police Raid Baptist Easter Celebration

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 690 | Wed 19 Apr 2023
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UZBEKISTAN: POLICE RAID BAPTIST EASTER CELEBRATION
by Elizabeth Kendal

On Resurrection Sunday, 9 April, police raided the Baptist church in Qarshi/Karshi, the capital of Uzbekistan’s southern Qashqadaryo/Kashkadarya Region.

Police raid Baptist church in Qarshi, 9 April 2023.
photo credit: Baptist Council of Churches.

Baptists told Forum 18 (a Norwegian organisation that monitors religious freedom) that the police stormed the prayer house while a service was under way, damaging the front door in the process. They then used batons and electric shock prods to incapacitate believers, beating church member David Ibragimov until he collapsed to the ground. Ten believers, including youths, were taken to the police station where they were detained until 3pm. Baptist musicians from Germany were among those taking part in the Easter celebration. The police gave no explanation for the raid. However, officials from the mahalla (local district) committees, who called in the police, told church members they were acting on a circular from the Religious Affairs Committee and Culture Ministry saying the events involving the German Baptist musicians were not allowed.

Church members told Forum 18 that the raid followed the church’s attempts to rent 15 local halls where they planned to hold Gospel presentations with the German Baptist musicians, in celebration of Easter. Because all attempts to rent public halls were blocked, the Baptist churches decided to host the events on their own premises. On Monday 10 April, the German Baptist musicians were in Denov, the capital of neighbouring Surxondaryo/Surkhandarya Region, to participate in the Gospel presentation there. As in Qarshi, police raided the ‘illegal’ meeting and forcibly dispersed congregation. In Uzbekistan, only groups that have successfully registered with the government are permitted to gather for worship and churches belonging to the Baptist Council of Churches refuse to register on principle.

Uzbekistan’s Religion Law has its roots in the highly repressive Soviet era. Since former Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev was elected president in December 2016, the state has been pursuing transformative reforms. Until that time, Uzbekistan had been one of the world’s most severe religious liberty abusers, violently persecuting believers and handing out long prison terms with hard labour to Christian leaders they had first framed (often by planting drugs on them) and tortured. Along with restructuring the economy and tackling systemic corruption, President Mirziyoyev has been forging ties both within the region and with the West. To that end, in 2018 Mirziyoyev agreed to revise the country’s repressive religion law. [Background on Uzbekistan, see: RLM, 2 Sept 2020]. Sadly, though an improvement on the 1998 law, the new religion law – passed in July 2021 – retains many repressive elements including mandatory registration, censorship of religious materials, restrictions on religious education, and a ban on ‘missionary activity and proselytism’ and ‘activities which offend the religious feelings of believers’ [Forum 18 analysis, Nov 2021].

Map showing location of Qarshi.
click on map to enlarge.

Located in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan has long been threatened by groups that promote Islamic revolution (e.g., Hizb ut-Tahrir) and jihadi terror (e.g., the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan). Furthermore, just over the southern border, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is flexing its muscles. In March, ISKP assassinated the governor of northern Afghanistan’s Balkh Province (which borders southern Uzbekistan), forcing the Taliban to launch a counter-terror operation in Mazar-e Sharif. Among the dead ISKP jihadists were numerous Tajik and Uzbek fighters. That said, unlike revolutionary and pro-Sharia, pro-jihad, pro-Caliphate Islamists, peaceful Baptists – indeed, Christians in general – do not pose a risk to national security. And if the government wants to preserve ‘peaceful coexistence of confessions’, then, instead of repressing religious freedom, it should address the problem of Islamic intolerance.


PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR GRACIOUS GOD WILL:

* raise up Christian leaders across ethnic and denominational lines – both inside Uzbekistan and internationally – who can articulate the Christian message to Uzbek authorities and make the case for religious liberty. May the Lord intervene to resolve the problem of continued religious repression in this former-Soviet, Muslim-majority state.

* grace Uzbekistan's Baptist Council of Churches with great wisdom and clear guidance as it seeks to navigate its way through a difficult and complex religious situation. May the Baptists who were beaten and abused in Qarshi on Easter Sunday be assured of God’s love and sustaining grace.

* use President Mirziyoyev as an instrument of HIS will to advance HIS purposes – even if he knows it not!

‘For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you [Cyrus] by your name, I name you [Cyrus], though you do not know me’ (from Isaiah 45:1-7 ESV). [Cyrus the Great, king of Persia ended the era of Babylonian Captivity, liberating the Jewish people and permitting their return to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1-4)]


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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POLICE RAID BAPTIST EASTER CELEBRATION IN UZBEKISTAN

On Resurrection Sunday, 9 April, police raided the Baptist church in Qarshi, the capital of Uzbekistan’s southern Qashqadaryo Region. Then they used batons and electric shock prods to incapacitate worshippers. Ten believers were taken to the police station and detained until 3pm. Under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan is undergoing transformative reforms, yet remains fearful of full religious freedom. The Religion Law bans unregistered gatherings and churches belonging to the Baptist Council of Churches refuse to register on principle. Qarshi’s unregistered Baptists had invited German Baptist musicians to participate with them in public Gospel presentations at 15 localities over Easter. Unfortunately, the religion law also bans ‘missionary activity and proselytism’ and ‘activities which offend the religious feelings of believers’, i.e., Christians witnessing to Muslims and Christians delivering public Gospel presentations. Please pray.

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

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate for the persecuted Church.

Elizabeth 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). She is also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology.

The Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) is a donor funded ministry. To support this ministry visit www.ElizabethKendal.com

RLPB 608. July Update, incl. Nigeria, China, the Sahel, Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, France, Pakistan, Uzbekistan.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 608 | Wed 30 Jul 2021
RLPB is published weekly to facilitate strategic intercessory prayer.

To subscribe (free) or view archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) blog.  The RLPB is sponsored by Christian Faith and Freedom Inc. https://cfaithfreedom.org/ 

JULY 2021 UPDATE
By Elizabeth Kendal

DURING THIS PERIOD, WE PRAYED CONCERNING:

* NIGERIA [RLPB 605 (7 July)], after Fulani bandits abducted 121 boarding students during the night from Kaduna's Bethel Baptist High School on 5 July.

BBC video report on kidnappings in Nigeria:
‘Children for Ransom’, 25 June 2021 (8 minutes). 

UPDATES:

Mercy Joy is reunited with her father.
Channels TV, 25 July 2021

1) ABDUCTIONS:  A few children were released because they were sickly or because ransom was paid. Three boys who escaped on the night of 20 July were subsequently picked up by police and reunited with their parents after undergoing a medical examination. In the early hours of Sunday 25 July, 28 students were collected from the Tsoho Gaya Forest in Chikun Local Government Area, after being released during the night. The Nigerian Baptist Convention has confirmed that 87 schoolchildren aged between 10 and 19 years are still with the bandits. While the government and the Church refuse to pay ransoms, the distraught families had pooled resources in the hope of collectively redeeming the children. Video footage from Nigeria's Channels TV shows clearly traumatised children - some wounded - being reunited with their parents, followed by scenes of parents in deep distress as they realise their nightmare is not yet over. Please pray.

Prayer for Nigeria: Psalm 56, excerpts, When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (v3). You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? (v8) This I know, that God is for me (v9c).

2) ZERO SECURITY: As reported by Morning Star News, for the whole week, from 8 to 14 July, Fulani herdsmen attacked Christian communities in southern Kaduna state unimpeded. They targeted villages throughout Zangon-Kataf LGA, killing at least 33 Christians and burning 215 homes and four churches. The jihadists swept through this very same area 12 months ago [see RLPB 561, Christian Crisis in Kaduna, 5 Aug 2020]. This campaign of terror is designed to effect ethnic cleansing. According to the International Organisation for Peace Building and Social Justice (PSJ, 14 July), '108 Southern Kaduna communities have been displaced and taken over by [Fulani herdsmen] since 2019'. The main reason why there is zero security is that military-influenced 1999 constitution centralises the police force and prohibits states from establishing their own police force [see RLPB 596 (5 May 2021)]. Please pray for the Christians in Nigeria's North and Middle Belt and for constitutional reform. 

3) TAKING JIHAD TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL: On Sunday 18 July, in an incident that has sent shock-waves through Nigerian security, jihadists in the north-western state of Zamfara, shot down a Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet above the Zamfara-Kaduna state border. The pilot ejected safely. This is the first confirmed case of an armed gang downing a Nigerian jet. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility. This takes the jihad to a whole new level.

* CHINA [RLPB 606 (14 July)], where Taiyuan's Xuncheng Reformed Church, a church planted by Chendu's Early Rain Covenant Church, is experiencing escalating persecution. Officials ordered the church to be closed in November 2020, and detained its pastor, An Yankui, for 15 days during January 2021. On 7 July, Pastor An's friend and co-worker Zhao Wikai (35) was summoned and then detained on the very serious charge of 'illegal holding of materials promoting terrorism and extremism'.

UPDATES

1) DETAINED: On 20 July Zhao Wikai's wife Li Xin received a notification of his official arrest on charges of 'unlawfully possessing items that advocate terrorism or extremism'. Those who know Zhao describe the charges as 'beyond imagination'. Christian Solidarity Worldwide also reports that Elder Zhang Chunlei of Ren'ai [Love] Reformed Church, Guiyang - arrested 16 March [see RLPB 593 (14 April)] - may well face similarly serious charges to Mr Zhao. Please pray.

Always smiling, Brother Chen...
(l) witnessing with his mother; (r) after detention.

2) 'CLERGY': Update to RLPB 585, 'CCP Moves to Fully Subjugate the Church,' 17 Feb 2021. The Administrative Measures for Clergy, which came into force on 1 May, require citizens involved in religious work to secure a Clergy Card proving they have CCP permission to conduct their ministry. As RLPB 585 noted: 'One evangelist destined to fall foul of the new Administrative Measures is Brother Chen Wensheng of Hunan Province. Before he met the Lord Jesus, Chen spent ten years crippled by and enslaved to his drug addiction. His testimony is one of transformation, healing, liberty and redemption, all thanks to the Lord's amazing grace.' A fearless evangelist, Brother Chen was arrested on 19 June 2021 and 'disappeared' into Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL: see RLPB 593, 'Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location,' 12 April). Chen was interrogated and warned not to continue his street preaching, before being released on 7 July. Chen is not going to stop witnessing, meaning the arrests will continue with ever increasing pressure. Please pray for Brother Chen, and for the Church in China.

* THE SAHEL [RLPB 606 (21 July)] where French troops are being withdrawn at a time when jihadists are: (1) escalating activity to record levels; (2) enforcing Sharia law and implementing Sharia penalties in territories they control; and (3) actively working to expand south into Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo and Benin. Christians in the Sahel - especially those in the Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger tri-border region - are imminently imperilled.

UPDATE: Despite being majority Muslim, the Sahelian states have a proud tradition of religious freedom and social cohesion. Christian mission - comprising churches, schools, medical clinics, aid centres and development projects - has a respected presence there. That could change if Islamic powers fill the vacuum left by France and the West. A report entitled 'Turkey in the Sahel', just released by Crisis Group (27 July), provides details of Turkey's expanded presence and influence in the Sahel where it is building mosques, schools and hospitals, and presenting itself as 'an alternative security partner'. Please pray.

JULY 2021 ROUND-UP - also this month:

* BURMA (MYANMAR): CHRISTIAN CRISIS COMPOUNDED BY COVID

According to a local Christian correspondent inside Burma, the junta is restricting oxygen supplies, giving it only to people who hold a letter of approval from a hospital owned and run by the junta. The claim is supported by a report in Asia Times entitled 'Everyone is Dying', by Associate Professor Mary P Callahan (17 July). Reporting from Thailand, Callahan confirms that, instead of tackling the health crisis, the military junta is using COVID-19 as a weapon. 'Most horrifically,' she writes, 'there is no oxygen left in the country, or rather, there is oxygen, but only the military gets it.' She warns: 'One very reputable public health specialist expects that the population will be decimated by at least 10-15 million by the time COVID is done with Myanmar.'  The Irrawaddy reports (27 July) that the junta is even  seizing oxygen imported by charities.  According to the local Christian source: 'More than 200 Christian ministers across the nation have gone to be with the Lord... The people of Myanmar and believers in Myanmar desperately need God's healing touch and protection from this deadly COVID-19 disease. Kindly continue to uphold us in your prayer.' Please pray.

* CUBA: ARE WE ALL COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARIES NOW?

Protests erupted across Cuba on 11 July. Though triggered by despair over a lack of food and medicines amidst the COVID crisis, they evolved quickly into angry demonstrations of unprecedented scale against the ruling Communist regime. Among the hundreds of citizens arrested on 11 July were Berean Baptist pastors Yarian Sierra Madrigal and Yéremi Blanco Ramírez, both tutors at the William Carey Biblical Seminary in Matanzas. The pastors were detained incommunicado and in appalling conditions before being released on 24 July. During that time, Pastor Madrigal's wife and young son were forcibly evicted from their rented home; the family is currently sheltering in a church. Meanwhile, another pastor, Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, remains detained, incommunicado, in a State Security facility in Santiago de Cuba. His 17-year-old son arrested with him has since been released unharmed but deeply shaken.

In February 2019 Cuban Christians overwhelmingly voted against constitutional amendments set to strengthen socialism, restrict religious liberty and pave the way for same-sex marriage. For championing this minority view, the Church was vilified, labelled 'counter-revolutionary' and subjected to increased persecution [RLPB 491 (27 Feb 2019)]. On 7 July 2021 - just four days before the protests erupted - Cuban Christians held a nationwide and interdenominational day of prayer and fasting for Cuba. Today this 'extremely vibrant Church' is standing with the protesters who are all counter-revolutionaries now! May God redeem this crisis to raise the profile of the Church in Cuba and open may hearts to receive the Gospel. Please pray.

* FRANCE: ISLAMIC TERROR BRINGS END TO LAÏCITÉ.

Islamic violence has claimed over 200 lives and wounded close to 1000 in France in recent years. Consequently, on Friday 23 July, the French Parliament passed a bill designed to help the state counter the influence of inherently political fundamentalist Islam. The Law Reinforcing Respect for the Principles of the Republic will allegedly protect laïcité, which traditionally has been understood as state neutrality with regards to religion (or separation of Church and state) but increasingly is understood by many as the elimination of religion from the public sphere. The law empowers the state to interfere extensively in the practice of religion if it finds that a group is inciting violence or hatred, a charge open to interpretation and abuse. Concerns abound that hostile anti-Christian groups will take up the law as a weapon against the Church. Furthermore, the law requires that parents who home-school their children obtain authorisation from the government to ensure that children are taught France's secular values (many of which are contrary to Biblical values). An office of laïcité has been established to track the implementation of the law. Protestant leaders told Christianity Today (April 2021) that the Church will continue her Gospel witness and the fight for liberty without fear or weakness. 'The Lord is with us,' confirms Erwan Cloarec (Evangelical Baptists), 'and he invites us to faith, trust and prayer.' Please pray for the Church in France.

* PAKISTAN: SUPREME COURT SETBACK

Christian child, Nayab Gill (13) before her
abduction and forced marriage to Muslim.

On 14 July Supreme Court Justice Mushir Alam rejected an appeal by Bishop Azad Marshall, Moderator Bishop of the Church of Pakistan and president of the National Council of Churches in Pakistan (NCCP). Filed by renowned human rights lawyer Saif Ul Malook on behalf of Marshall, the appeal called for a constitutional petition to protect Christian girls from forced conversion and forced marriage. It also asked the court to recognise the difference between Pakistani penal laws and Islamic Sharia law, as the latter is one of the major causes behind the exploitation of Christian girls. The petition was filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, which allows the Supreme Court to have jurisdiction over matters of public importance with reference to the enforcement of any of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. Justice Alam rejected the petition on the grounds that it did not address an individual case or grievance. But as Bishop Marshall explained to Morning Star News (MSN, 20 July), 'The matter is not restricted to an individual case. Rather, it relates to the entire Christian population in Pakistan and the violation of their fundamental rights.'

While Bishop Marshal was extremely disappointed to have his appeal rejected, he was encouraged by the court's promise 'that it will take this issue up if we bring a specific case before it'. He told MSN that he will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court's 1 July decision to ignore official birth records and send the Christian child Nayab Gill (13, abducted in May) to live with her Muslim abductor, Saddam Hayat (30), a married father of four. In making his ruling the Lahore High Court judge cited Islamic Sharia Law which says a girl who has had a menstrual cycle is of marriageable age. Please pray for Nayab Gill, and that Bishop Marshall's new Supreme Court petition will be heard.

* UZBEKISTAN: NEW RELIGION LAW COMES INTO FORCE
Update to RLPB 565, 'Religion Law Under Review', 2 Sep 2020

On 5 July Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed Uzbekistan's new Religion Law. The law was made public and came into force on 6 July. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom laments: 'Uzbekistan's new Religion Law fails to address the most serious restrictions on religious freedom in the country... [but] retains Uzbekistan's most severe limitations on freedom of religion or belief from previous laws, including restrictions on education, literature, and sharing of religious beliefs.' In a detailed analysis, Forum 18 (5 July) also laments the law's numerous failings, including its ban on all exercise of freedom of religion and belief without state permission, its ban on teaching about religion without state permission, its ban on sharing beliefs and its compulsory prior state censorship of all printed and electronic religious materials. Meanwhile, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency praised the new law which it claimed, 'expands religious freedom in the country'. Islamist, neo-Ottoman Turkey - which is expanding its influence into and through Central Asia - was particularly pleased to see many anti-Islamist measures revoked. Please pray for the Church in Uzbekistan.

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

Elizabeth Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She serves as Director of Advocacy at Canberra-based Christian Faith and Freedom Inc. (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 565. Uzbekistan: Religion Law Under Review

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 565 | Wed 02 Sep 2020
RLPB is published weekly to facilitate strategic intercessory prayer.

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)

UZBEKISTAN: RELIGION LAW UNDER REVIEW
By Elizabeth Kendal

Central Asia's Forgotten Gem
 (Virtual Vacation)

Uzbekistan's repressive Religion Law is currently under review. The law - which has its roots in the Soviet era - was adopted in 1998 during the rule of Islam Karimov. A ruthless autocrat, Karimov ruled over the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic from 1989, before being elected as the first president of an independent Uzbekistan in 1991. Karimov administered Uzbekistan as a Soviet-style police state wherein suffocating repression was enforced by a brutal security apparatus. When Karimov died in September 2016, the Supreme Assembly appointed Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev as Acting President. In December 2016 Mirziyoyev was elected as Uzbekistan's second President. Since then, President Mirziyoyev (63) has been leading Uzbekistan on a path of transformative political and economic reform. His desire to engage and trade with both East and West requires religious liberty to be addressed.

On 19 August 2020 a draft new Religion Law was made available for 'public discussion' on the parliamentary website, which also gave notice that the Law had reached the Oliy Majlis (Legislative Assembly). In June 2020 President Mirziyoyev issued a decree outlining a 'Road Map' for human rights, giving 1 October 2020 as the date for a new Religion Law. But as Forum 18 explains, the decree does not say whether 1 October is the deadline for the draft or for parliamentary approval. Sadly, the draft is deeply disappointing. Virtually all the oppressive measures integral to the 1998 law are retained in the 2020 draft. Despite enshrining the principle of separation of religion and state, the draft law perpetuates the state's repressive interference in religion. All religious activity outside state-approved, registered organisations and without permission from the authorities, remains 'illegal'. Article 11 bans 'any forms of missionary activity and proselytism capable of destroying inter-religious accord and religious tolerance in society'. Religious education and the importation of religious literature remain enmeshed in crippling regulations and vulnerable to repressive, arbitrary prohibitions and confiscations.

Abduvohid Yakubov, an independent rights defender from Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent, laments the lack of progress. 'The State must not be afraid of giving full religious freedoms,' he told Forum 18. In saying this, Yakubov has touched on the very thing that makes religious freedom in Uzbekistan so fraught: the state is afraid, very afraid, and not without reason! After Uzbekistan declared independence in 1991, Islam literally flooded into the largely Russified and secular state, filling the spiritual void left by decades of enforced, atheistic communism. Funded mostly by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, mosques sprang up everywhere, Islamist missionaries poured in, and Qurans arrived by the tonne. Before long, Uzbekistan was simmering with revolutionary and jihadist, pro-Caliphate, pro-Sharia fundamentalist Islam. Though millions of ethnic Russians, Germans, Koreans and other non-Uzbeks have since left, God has raised-up an authentically Uzbek Church, comprised mostly of Muslim-background new believers. So yes, the government is afraid. But the government is not alone! Not all Uzbeks are happy about their nation's Islamisation. Despite identifying as Muslims, they enjoy their modern lives and are excited by Uzbekistan's new openness and growing prosperity.

Currently the Religion Law exists to enable the government to retain control and maintain order: i.e. if radicalised Muslims are going to riot at the sight of a church, then the church must go! Instead, the law's purpose should be to protect the fundamental human rights of every human being; in which case religious totalitarianism, intolerance and violence must go! Though Uzbekistan is no longer part of the long-dead Soviet Union, the Soviet spirit remains embedded in Uzbekistan. For many in government and the security sector, violent repression is the default position. Changing this will require a profound transformation in culture by way of visionary leadership and extensive education which holds out the prospect of a new and better way to live.

For an extended version of this RLPB, providing a little more insight into the politics and religious history of this fascinating region, please see:
Uzbekistan's Religion Law: Currently Under Review, 
Religious Liberty Monitoring, 2 Sept 2020

PLEASE PRAY THAT OUR ALMIGHTY GOD WILL

* intervene in Uzbekistan, to restore the freedom that once existed before the arrival of Islam, when Uzbekistan's Silk Road cities welcomed Christian (Assyrian) missionaries, as well as peoples and trade from East and West; may the Lord God be jealous for this land! (Joel 2:18-29)

* 'send out labourers' into Uzbekistan's dangerous yet fertile fields, for the sake of Uzbekistan's persecuted Church and her 'harassed and helpless' masses; may the Spirit of our merciful and gracious God blow through that land. (Jonah 4:10-11; and Matthew 9:35-38)

* use as his instruments President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Justice Minister Ruslanbek Davletov and Senator Sodiq Safoyev as they navigate the delicate and treacherous path to freedom and openness; may the Lord grant them vision, clarity, conviction, authority and plenty of support. May they be a collective 'Cyrus' (Isaiah 45:1-13).

'Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it' (Isaiah 45:8 ESV).

* protect and preserve his precious persecuted Church in Uzbekistan; may he grant her leaders wisdom, grace and endurance as they lead the Lord's people through testing times; may their eyes be fixed on Jesus always. (Hebrews 12:1-3)


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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UZBEKISTAN'S RELIGION LAW UNDER REVIEW

Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, elected December 2016, is leading the state through transformative reform. His desire to engage and trade with both East and West requires religious liberty to be addressed. Consequently, Uzbekistan's repressive, Soviet-inspired 1998 Religion Law is currently under review. Unfortunately, the draft new Religion Law made public on 19 August is deeply disappointing. Instead of eliminating repression, it would perpetuate it. The government is afraid that religious freedom would enable pro-Caliphate fundamentalist Islam to spin out of control. Furthermore, after a century of Soviet and Soviet-style social control, violent repression is for many the default position. But while the government is afraid, it is not alone! Many Uzbeks are excited by Uzbekistan's new openness and growing prosperity. Please pray for Uzbekistan and its persecuted yet growing Church.

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

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 481. Nov Update, incl. CAR, Australia, Bulgaria, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 481 | Wed 28 Nov 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)

- Elizabeth Kendal

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

* CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR) (RLPB 480), a French-speaking and majority Christian (76 percent) nation that in 2012 was flooded by mostly Arabic-speaking local and foreign militants [see RLPB 210 (15 May 2013)].  A large part of the country -- the north, centre and west -- remains under Islamic occupation to this day. It is widely accepted that these Islamic militants are being armed and funded by foreign powers whose aim it is to destabilise CAR so they might plunder its resources and 'open the road to radical Islam in the heart of Africa'. On 15 November militants from the mostly Fulani UPC (Union for Peace in Central African Republic) Islamic militia wrought devastation and perpetrated a massacre in the south-central town of Alindao. Overwhelmed and lacking a clear mandate, UN peacekeepers stationed in the town made no attempt to defend the civilian population. The CAR government is again appealing for the arms embargo that prohibits CAR from procuring weapons for its own military to be lifted.

UPDATE: WORLD IGNORES CHRISTIAN CRISIS IN CAR

Bishop of Alindao,
Mgr Cyr-Nestor Yapaupa
(pictured in May 2017)

The Bishop of Bangassou, Mgr Aguirre, has confirmed that the trigger for the massacre in Alindao was the killing of 'a Nigerian [i.e. foreign] mercenary'. Furthermore, whilst the UN has revised the death toll in the Alindao massacre to 'at least 60', unconfirmed sources claim the death toll could be more than 100. 

According to Mgr Aguirre, all NGOs have left Alindao; only the 'Bishop of Alindao and three priests who wanted to remain close to the population' remain and they are 'exhausted'. As Mgr Aguirre stressed, 'We cannot limit ourselves to denouncing these massacres. We need to get to the bottom of what is happening in Central Africa. Groups like the UPC are made up of foreign mercenaries who have occupied parts of our territory for 5 years. They are paid by some Gulf countries and led by some neighbouring African states. They enter [from] Chad through Birao [the capital of Vakaga prefecture in CAR's far north] with weapons sold to Saudi Arabia from the United States.' He accuses foreign powers of instigating religious conflict in CAR so they might plunder its resources and advance Islam through resource-rich CAR and into the equally resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo. 'This,' he said, 'is the game that is behind the massacre of Alindao.'

click on map to enlarge

DAY OF LAMENTATION AND PRAYER: On Saturday 1 December CAR will mark the 60th anniversary of independence since the end of French colonial rule. Rather than celebrate, CAR's Church leaders have proposed that Sunday 2 December be a 'day of lamentation and prayer' in memory of all CAR's victims. All donations collected on that day -- the first Sunday of Advent -- will go to survivors. Please pray with and for the Church in CAR, lamenting this truly lamentable situation and pleading with the Lord for a merciful and powerful intervention.

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

* AUSTRALIA: HOSTILITY RISES

Australia does not have a positive right to religious freedom. Rather, religious freedom exists in negative terms, through exemptions in anti-discrimination law. In December 2017 the Australian parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage. This triggered a debate on religious freedom which is exposing and fuelling anti-Christian hostility. This month, Christians Luke and Carla Burrell, announced that after 12 years of successful business, White magazine would cease publication. The popular bridal magazine became economically non-viable after LGBTQ activists -- who had realised that the magazine did not feature same-sex couples -- launched an aggressive campaign that drove off advertisers, frightened staff and included threats of physical harm (including a threat to torch the Burrell's home). Since its founding in September 2016, the Australia Christian Lobby's Human Rights Law Alliance has been involved in some 50 cases of Christians being subjected to 'lawfare' simply for exercising their faith. Please pray that the Australian Church will grow in faith, wisdom, boldness and grace as hostility rises and religious liberty faces challenges.

(For more on the situation in Australia, watch Religious Liberty Monitoring in coming days.)

* BULGARIA: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE BALANCE

In mid-November the Bulgarian government in Sofia agreed to revise amendments to the Religious Denominations Act before the bill is put to a second reading. The first draft was so shockingly regressive that it drew prayer vigils and peaceful protests from all Christian denominations -- including the Bulgarian Orthodox Church -- as well as the Muslim and Jewish communities. Politicians have been criticised for attempting to deal with a national security matter -- the spread of jihadist and revolutionary Islam in Bulgaria -- through regressive, repressive religious legislation. The Act is now before the parliament and no vote has yet been taken. Christians in Bulgaria have pledged to continue their public prayer vigils and peaceful protests until the nation's lawmakers either withdraw the legislation or make substantive changes to it.  Please pray that the Lord will preserve religious freedom in Bulgaria 'in answer to the prayers of many' (2 Corinthians 1:10,11).

*EGYPT: ANOTHER MASSACRE IN MINYA


 In what looks like a repeat of  last year's Ascension Day massacre [RLPB 409 (31 May 2017)], seven Coptic Christians from one family (including two children) were killed and 14 injured when Islamic militants attacked Coptic Christians returning from a visit to the Monastery of St Samuel the Confessor in Minya, Upper Egypt. The terrorists -- four masked gunmen in a four-wheel-drive vehicle -- ambushed the convoy of two church buses on the desert road. While the larger bus managed to escape, the smaller bus was besieged. The massacre leaves Copts asking 'how can this happen to us twice?' and 'why hasn't this road been secured as the government promised?'  Please Pray for the Church in Egypt.

* IRAN: BELIEVERS MONITORED AND ARRESTED 

Behnam Ersali and Davood Rasooli, Iranian Christian converts from Karaj (50km west of Tehran) were arrested on 16 November.  According to Middle East Concern, the men had arranged to meet in Mashhad (900km east of Tehran), where Behnam was staying at a friend's house. However, it seems Iranian intelligence was monitoring the men, having intercepted their phone calls. The men were arrested before they could meet; Behnam in Mashhad and Davood in Karaj.  They remain in detention, their condition and whereabouts unknown. Friends suspect that Davood Rasooli is in solitary confinement and undergoing interrogation in Karaj's infamous, maximum security Rajai-Shahr Prison. As Rob Duncan, regional manager at Middle East Concern notes, 'It reveals how closely the Iranian authorities are monitoring the Christians.'  Please pray for Behnam Ersali, Davood Rasooli and all Iran's Christian prisoners. May Christ continue to build his Church in Iran.

* PAKISTAN: ASIA BIBI STILL WAITING


One month ago [RLPB 479 (31 Oct)] Asia Bibi (47) was waiting for a decision from Pakistan's Supreme Court. Since then the court has acquitted her of blasphemy (31 October); the Islamists have staged mass protests and issued death threats; Pakistan's spineless Prime Minister has flip-flopped (first supporting the Supreme Court judges, before capitulating to appease and support the Islamists);  the judges have gone into hiding and Bibi's lawyer has fled to the Netherlands. As for Asia Bibi, she is stuck in Pakistan, forbidden to leave the country. In the face of her husband's pleas for assistance, the West is largely silent; indeed the UK only opened its mouth to reject the prospect of asylum. And all the while the threat facing Pakistan's Christian minority escalates. It is highly likely that the next time a Christian is accused of blasphemy, Islamists will encourage Muslims to by-pass the courts and kill the accused 'blasphemer' themselves. Pakistan is teetering on the brink of a major Christian Crisis. Please pray.

* UZBEKISTAN: PROTESTANTS UNDER PRESSURE

On 19 November police raided a private home in Pap, eastern Uzbekistan, arresting the eight Protestant believers gathered there for a meal and Bible reading. The believers were detained, questioned and forced to sign statements before being released at 3am. The raid was conducted without a warrant and only one of the 'police' wore a uniform.  The police seized Christian Bibles, booklets, DVD and CDs -- all of which had been purchased from the state-registered Bible Society of Uzbekistan. The believers are still waiting for news as to whether or not they are going to be charged with any offence.  A group of 31 Protestants who faced court in Tashkent on 30 October also had to contend with multiple violations of due process. Despite the irregularities, the local Protestants in the Tashkent case were fined between five and 20 times the minimum monthly wage, while the four South Koreans in the group were deported.  As Forum 18 reports, these are but two of many acts of harassment and persecution unleashed on believers by the police's Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department. Please pray for the Church in Uzbekistan.

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

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 429. Uzbekistan: Christians persecuted and churches tightly controlled

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 429 | Wed 25 Oct 2017

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International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted Church
Sunday 5 or 12 November, 2017
See: Critical Prayer Requests
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by Anneta Vyssotskaia

UZBEKISTAN: CHRISTIANS PERSECUTED SEVERELY AND CHURCHES TIGHTLY CONTROLLED

Uzbekistan is a country located in the central part of Central Asia with an ancient history and a rich culture -- the famous Great Silk Road goes through its territory. Uzbekistan was once a republic of the Soviet Union, but in 1991 it declared its independence. During the Soviet period, atheism was part of the state policy and all religions were severely persecuted. Islam quickly became the dominant religion (93%) in Uzbekistan, while Christians only make up to 5% of the population. Russian Orthodox Christians make up about 4% and their number is constantly decreasing with the emigration of the Russian population. Protestant Christians are less than 1% and are represented by various evangelical churches. The number of the Uzbek Christians from a Muslim background is unknown but is constantly growing.

For many years Uzbekistan has been the country where Christians experience the severest persecution compared with other Central Asian countries. It is ranked 16th in the World Watch List 2017 of 50 countries where Christians experience persecution for their faith. The most persecuted group are Christians with a Muslim background as they are considered traitors bringing shame on  their Muslim families. All forms of pressure are used to make them turn back to Islam, from persuasion to home detention and beatings. Christian women from Muslim background are especially vulnerable as they are expected to submit totally to their parents and husbands. They are persecuted severely by their family if their Christian faith becomes known. Persecution is worst in rural areas. Christians with a Muslim background usually worship in house churches, often changing meeting places because of the danger of police raids. Sometimes they have to meet just one to one.

Registered churches and especially their leaders also experience a lot of pressure and are under unceasing state control. Churches can be infiltrated by spies and church services are kept under surveillance. Police raids on believers' homes, confiscation of literature and digital devices, detention, interrogation and fines are commonplace. Christian education is restricted. There is only one registered Protestant seminary in Uzbekistan, located in the capital city, Tashkent, with a very small number of students. Christians can lose their jobs or businesses can be closed if their faith becomes known. There are reports of police torture when Christians are detained and interrogated.

Following the death of the former President Islam Karimov in September 2016, Shavkat Mirziyoyev became the new President. There were expectations that the new President might bring more religious freedom. The government tries to give the impression of a positive change. In June 2017 there was an official presentation of the Uzbek translation of the Bible, attended by representatives of the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches. At a high level meeting of the Central Asia-UN Dialogue in Asghabat in June 2017, Uzbekistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs said: 'In Uzbekistan the concept of religious tolerance has grown into the atmosphere of religious harmony and openness. In other words, our unity is in diversity.' Unfortunately, in reality no religious tolerance and harmony is observable and the situation with persecution remains very much the same.


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT:

* God will enable all Christians to stay strong and continue spreading the Gospel.

* Christians with a Muslim background will be protected and strengthened by the Lord.

* the State authorities will show more real tolerance and human rights will prevail.


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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CHRISTIANS SEVERELY PRESECUTED AND CHURCHES TIGHTLY CONTROLLED IN UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan, formerly a republic of the Soviet Union, is in the middle of Central Asia. During the Soviet era, atheism was state policy and religion was severely persecuted. Islam is 93% of the population and Christians just 5%. Compared with other Central Asian countries, Uzbekistan is  where Christians are most severely persecuted. Those suffering most are Christians from a Muslim background. Churches are infiltrated by spies and police raid believers' homes.  There is only one small Protestant seminary in Uzbekistan. Christians can lose their livelihood if their faith becomes known. The new government tries to give the impression of positive change, claiming there is an atmosphere of religious harmony and openness. Unfortunately, in reality this is not observable and persecution remains much the same. Please pray for Uzbekistan and its Christians.

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Anneta Vyssotskaia, a Russian who is a religious liberty expert on Russia and Central Asia, is the guest contributor to the RLPB ministry with this and the next bulletin, filling for Elizabeth Kendal while she is on leave.

RLPB 386. November Update; Incl. Syria, Indonesia, Sudan, Nigeria, China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 386 | Wed 30 Nov 2016
by Elizabeth Kendal

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)

NOVEMBER 2016 UPDATE -- this month we prayed concerning ...

* ALEPPO, SYRIA (RLPB 382), where the Battle for Aleppo is in its final days. Turkey's invasion and advance in the direction of al-Bab (just 36km from rebel-held eastern Aleppo) has forced the Syrian government's hand.

UPDATE: As the Turkey-backed, al-Qaeda-aligned 'rebels' come under intensive pressure, thousands of Aleppo residents, long-held as human shields, are now escaping eastern Aleppo for the safety of government-held areas. Reports are surfacing of conflict erupting between rebel groups as hardline jihadists seek to stem the exodus of disaffected fighters and civilians. Those who have escaped confirm that rebels have terrorised residents, executing those suspected of disloyalty and keeping snipers posted at all possible exits. Pray this bloodshed will end soon. Pray for the Church in Syria.

* JAKARTA, INDONESIA (RLPB 383), where Islamic clerics have accused Jakarta's incumbent ethnic Chinese Christian Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama of blasphemy in the hope they can prevent him from contesting Jakarta's February 2017 gubernatorial elections.

UPDATE: Having concluded their investigations, police have named Ahok as a blasphemy suspect, confirming that the case will go to trial. Islamic fundamentalists are now protesting that Ahok has not been arrested and detained as is the normal protocol in blasphemy cases in Indonesia. This is a watershed moment for Indonesia.

For a full analysis see: Indonesia: Ahok's 'Blasphemy',
By Elizabeth Kendal, Religious Liberty Monitoring, 30 Nov 2016

* SUDAN (RLPB 384), where the Islamist and Arabist Government of Sudan (GoS) continues its war on dissent and its persecution of the Church while preparing for a dry season resumption of its genocidal jihad against the African Christians of the Nuba Mountains.

UPDATE: NUBA ABANDONED
According to Nuba Reports, some 230,000 Nuba refugees are languishing in the camps of South Sudan, stuck between two horrendous wars: the GoS genocidal jihad in the Nuba Mountains and South Sudan's civil war. With Europe desperate to curb migration, the US desperate for Sudanese intelligence, China and Russia eager to invest and an array of African states keen to normalise relations, the Nuba are being abandoned. Bishop Macram Max Gassis, the emeritus bishop from the El-Obeid diocese in the Nuba mountain area of Sudan, is appealing for international assistance on behalf of the Nuba. He is requesting specifically that Khartoum be pressured to end its aerial bombardment of civilians and allow the entry of humanitarian aid. '[The Nuba] are our brothers and sisters in humanity,' he told Deutsche Welle. 'If we neglect them, we are responsible in front of Almighty God.' May the Lord intervene for his people!

* NIGERIA (RLPB 385), where Christians in ethno-religious fault-line regions -- specifically at this time in southern Kaduna -- face a resurgence of classic Islamic jihad as Fulani Muslim herdsmen and Islamic militants, backed by Muslim political and military figures, work together to displace them and steal their lands.

UPDATE SOUTHERN KADUNA: MORE ATTACKS 
On Friday 25 November Mile One Village in Tafan District, Jemma Local Government Area (LGA) in Kaduna State's deep south was attacked by 'gunmen' who killed four residents and burned several houses. The residents of Mile One and the surrounding villages of Gidan Waya, Ungwuan Ninzo and Ungwuan Kagoro have all fled. The students of the College of Education, Gidan Waya, spent the night hiding in the bush. Neighbouring Pasakori village came under attack a day earlier. Christian leaders lament and have denounced the on-going ethnic cleansing.

UPDATE KANO: BLASPHEMY KILLERS ACQUITTED
On 2 June Bridget Agbahime (74), wife of Pastor Mike Agbahime (pastor of Kano's Deeper Life Bible Church, Northern Nigeria), was beaten to death at her stall in the Kofar Wambai market by an enraged Muslim mob after being falsely accused of blasphemy. According to reports, her accuser had been 'looking to make trouble' for the Agbahimes (who are Christian Igbos from the south) for some time. On Thursday 3 November a Kano court acquitted the five men arrested over the murder, allowing them to walk free. The ruling has horrified Christians. The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern States and Abuja has appealed to the Attorney General.


NOVEMBER ROUND-UP -- also this month ...

* CHINA: ANOTHER CHRISTIAN LAWYER DISAPPEARS


Beijing-based Christian human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong (45) disappeared on the evening of Monday 21 November. He had travelled to Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province, to meet with relatives of lawyers detained in the July 2015 crackdown. Having already purchased his train ticket, Jiang was due to leave Changsa for Beijing at 10:53pm that night (21 November). His wife Jin Bianling, who fled China with their daughter some years ago, has had no contact with Jiang since 10pm, 21 November, and holds grave fears for his safety. It is feared that Jiang -- who was abducted and tortured for two months in 2011 -- has again been abducted by security officials. One of China's most prominent human rights lawyers, Jiang has had numerous high profile clients over the years, including tortured Christian attorney Gao Zhisheng.  May God have mercy! Pray for disappeared Christian lawyers Jiang Tianyong and Zhang Kai. Pray for the Church in China.

* IRAN: AZERI CHRISTIANS RELEASED ON BAIL

Update to RLPB 372 (24 Aug 2016): Praise God that Yusif Farhadov (51), Eldar Gurbanov (48) and Bahram Nasibov (37), three Azeri Christians from Baku, Azerbaijan, who were arrested on 24 June while attending a wedding in Tehran, have been released on bail. After two months of solitary confinement and months of hardship in Evin Prison's Ward 350, the men were released on 29 October. They were allowed to return to Azerbaijan on 6 November after paying the full amount of bail. Middle East Concern reports (7 November): 'They faced charges of engaging in missionary activity and propaganda against the regime, but it is hoped that they will be acquitted of these charges.' Praise God for this mercy.

* UZBEKISTAN: PRISONER RELEASED ON BAIL, BUT WARNED

Tohar Haydarov
Source: VOM

Praise God that Christian convert Tohar Haydarov (33) has been released from prison, six years and ten months into his 10-year jail sentence. In early 2010, after local Muslims complained about Haydarov's conversion and witness, Uzbek authorities arrested him, claiming to have 'found drugs' on his property. In March 2010 Haydarov was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Compounding his grief, his Muslim father died -- allegedly of 'accidental electrocution' --  the very day he was due to testify in court in defence of his son's good character. Haydarov was released on parole on 8 November. He has returned to his home in Gulistan, eastern Uzbekistan. His fellow Baptists told Forum 18, 'We are thankful to everybody who prayed for him and sent letters to him while in prison.' However, they request continued prayer for Tohar, anticipating he will face problems; indeed, he has already been warned. Pray for Tohar Haydarov and for the Church in Uzbekistan.

* VIETNAM: PROBLEMATIC LAW PASSED

On 18 November Vietnam's new Law on Belief and Religion passed in the National Assembly with 84.58 percent approval. Vietnam's Communist Party-run media hailed it as a great leap forward for religious freedom. Whilst the final text has not yet been made public, it is not expected to differ significantly from previous drafts. The draft Law on Belief and Religion started from the position that religion is a threat to national security and social order, a problem to be micro-managed. In hailing the law's passing, the state-run media noted that, whilst guaranteeing religious freedom for all, the law bans religious activity that could (amongst other things) harm social order and/or national unity, or prevent the performance of civil rights and obligations, or offend the honour of any persons. Such vague and subjective parameters ensure the Communist authorities will have plenty of grounds upon which to repress and persecute religious believers. As is common in much of Asia and Africa, the Church is at the centre not only of humanitarian work but of most pro-democracy and human rights advocacy. Please pray for Vietnam and its Church.

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

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 375. Russia, Jordan, Uzbekistan: Pray for 'those in authority'

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 375 | Wed 14 Sep 2016

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)

RUSSIA, JORDAN, UZBEKISTAN: PRAY FOR 'THOSE IN AUTHORITY' 
by Elizabeth Kendal

'I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.' (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV)

While God offers salvation to all people freely, lack of religious liberty and security make Gospel witness and conversion incredibly costly. In many places the Church is forced 'underground', depriving those who are perishing of life-saving witness. In the days when the cruel despot Nero ruled over the Roman Empire, the Apostle Paul urged the church to pray for 'all those in authority' to the end that we might live openly as Christians sharing the Gospel freely. Paul declares such liberty to be 'good', something that 'pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth' (1 Timothy 2:1-4 NIV). With this in mind, let us pray for religious liberty and security in two states heading into elections, and one undergoing political transition.

RUSSIA: LOWER HOUSE ELECTIONS, 18 SEPTEMBER

Russians go the polls on Sunday 18 September to elect a new 450-seat Duma (legislative assembly, lower house). The Russian Duma is a diverse house, comprising 'progressives', traditionalists, Communists, nationalists, 'hawks' and 'doves'. Western sanctions have brought great economic hardship to Russia. This has empowered the 'hawks' within Russia's ruling United Russia party which is now slumping in the polls.  On Tuesday 6 September, President Putin told the party that the deeply unpopular anti-terror laws -- which include shocking anti-mission measures -- may need to be 'adjusted to not put people in a difficult position' (Stratfor Intelligence, 8 September). Pray for President Putin and Prime Minister Medvedev and for God to intervene in Russia to guide the electorate and all those in authority to the end that religious liberty might be restored.

JORDAN: LOWER HOUSE ELECTIONS, 20 SEPTEMBER

Jordanians go to the polls on 20 September to elect a 130-seat lower house by means of a new electoral law. Though the new voting system is expected to lead to increased Islamist representation in parliament, the system has been designed to ensure the Islamists are diluted in a pool of some 50 parties. With a large Palestinian minority and many thousands of Iraqi and Syrian refugees, Jordan is volatile. The monarchy hopes the new voting system will give the government greater legitimacy. Christians in Jordan are free to worship openly, but not to witness to Muslims. Pray for King Abdullah and for God to intervene in Jordan to guide the electorate and all those in authority to the end that Christian liberty and security might actually be enhanced.

UZBEKISTAN: GOVERNMENT IN TRANSITION 

On 2 September, Uzbekistan's long-time autocratic ruler, Islam Karimov (78), died of a stroke. Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev (58) will serve as Acting President until a presidential election takes place sometime within the next three months. Uzbekistan's repressed and persecuted 0.75 percent minority Christians do not expect their situation to improve -- some fear it might get worse. Officially secular, Uzbekistan is 90 percent Muslim and the threat posed by Islamic jihadist and revolutionary movements is real. Laws designed to clamp down on these movements are also used to persecute Christians and repress Protestant Christianity which the government regards as a 'foreign' and destabilising force. Please pray for Acting President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and all those in authority in Uzbekistan to the end that the Church may be free to worship, minister and witness.

GENERAL PRAYER

God our Father,

As we come with our requests we are acutely aware that we fall short in so many ways. And so we pray with the mind and heart of your servant Daniel, and appeal for your action and plead for your intervention, not because we deserve it, but because you are merciful (Daniel 9:16-19). 

Because you, O Lord, have compassion for the 'harassed and helpless' who live like 'sheep without a shepherd'; and because you, O Lord, long to see more workers in your harvest field (Matthew 9:35-38) we ask that you would intervene in states where religious liberty is not respected, and where Christian ministry, witness and conversion are prohibitively costly.

Intervene, Lord, directing the hearts of 'kings' (Proverbs 21:1), raising up Cyrus-like figures (Isaiah 45) -- leaders whom you will lead in the interests of your Church and for the blessing of the world. May enemies be stripped of their power and may doors be opened (Isaiah 45:1) so that people might come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:1-4) whereby righteousness might flourish and salvation sprout (Isaiah 45:8) in Russia, in Jordan, and in Uzbekistan -- indeed in all the world 'as the waters cover the sea' (Isaiah 11:9, Habakkuk 2:14).

AMEN


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Please take any one of the three paragraphs here -- Russia, Jordan or Uzbekistan -- for use in church bulletins and for your prayer focus of the week.

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Elizabeth Kendal is the author of 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 313. Uzbekistan: no religion without permission

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 313 | Wed 10 Jun 2015

UZBEKISTAN: NO RELIGION WITHOUT PERMISSION
By Elizabeth Kendal

click on map to enlarge 

On the morning of 8 May, four Protestants from various churches were travelling together by car when they were stopped at the checkpoint between Samarkand Region and Navoi Region. It seems that Navoi police had been informed that the Protestants would be arriving in town that morning and were waiting for them. According to rights group Forum 18, the driver, Murot Turdiyev, who is known to police because of his Christian activities, is under constant police surveillance. The police inspected the men's documents, but found no fault. They then searched the car, but again, found no fault. When the police then demanded the men open their bags and pockets, Turdiyev called for two witnesses, fearing the police might be seeking to plant false evidence. The police then demanded the men write statements about their travels, detailing whom they have met and what they have discussed. The Christians refused. After more than three hours at the checkpoint, the men were put into a police car and taken to Karmana District Police Station where they were each interrogated, intimidated and threatened. Turdiyev, who seemed to be singled out for the harshest treatment, was punched in the abdomen and strangled by two officers until he lost consciousness. The four believers were released that night after almost ten hours of detention. Uzbek Protestants expressed concerns to Forum 18 that the Karmana Police may have prepared administrative cases against the four men. Whilst the police denied this, they confirmed that an investigation is under way.

Fearing police brutality, torture and detention, Guljahon Kuzebayeva, a Protestant who is wanted by police for talking to her family members about her Christian faith, remains in hiding almost a year after police raided her home. On 23 May police delivered an official summons to Kuzebayeva's house, ordering her to present herself to the Karshi Police. Protestants told Forum 18 they believe the police have opened a case against Kuzebayeva under Administrative Code Articles 240 and 241, which ban teaching religious beliefs without training or permission.

Whilst Protestants have long suffered harassment and intimidation in Uzbekistan, the situation has deteriorated since August 2014 when the state enacted the law on Prevention of Violations of the Law. The Prevention Law is aimed at preventing all exercise of religion without state permission. The law empowers state bodies, committees and local district councils (mahallas) to enforce religion laws, and requires them to report those they suspect might be guilty of religious crimes. These crimes include 'teaching' religion without training or permission, or storing or disseminating religious materials without permission. Furthermore, when a Christian is investigated for 'prevention measures', their employer or educational institution and mahalla are usually informed, inviting further persecution.

Forum 18 reports that on 10 February a Tashkent court fined Ilmira Ishanova and her two sons for 'illegally' storing Christian literature and materials in their flat.

500 cmy (som) note,
featuring Turko-Mongol Muslim
conqueror Timur (Tamerlane)
who is buried in Samarkand.
Timur decimated Christian
communities throughout
Central Asia and Mesopotamia
through the latter part of the14th C.

On 2 March another Tashkent court fined four members of the Yusupov family for 'illegally' storing Christian religious literature and materials in their home. On 23 March a court in Navoi Region fined Dmitri and Svetlana Butov for 'illegally' storing Christian literature in their home. Fines vary from painful to totally unaffordable. On 17 April police summonsed Murodjon Rakhimov to the local mahalla. When Rakhimov refused to write a statement against his church, he and his wife Gulchohra were summonsed to appear before the police who are now preparing a case against them. In March and April at least three Protestants were imprisoned for between 7 and 15 days for breaches of oppressive religion laws. One of them, Doniyor Akhedov, was arrested on 16 March almost immediately after he handed a gospel leaflet to a passer-by. Along with being detained for his 'illegal missionary activity', Akhedov was also issued a huge fine, which he is refusing to pay.

Uzbekistan is a secular state, but religion is tightly controlled. Christians are a mere 0.75 percent of Uzbekistan's population -- about half of them are Orthodox and the rest are predominantly Protestant. Whilst nearly 14 percent of Uzbek nationals identify as having 'no religion', some 85 percent are Muslim (predominantly Sunni). Following global trends, Uzbekistan's Muslims are being radicalised and as radicalisation advances, so too does Muslim intolerance of Christians, especially those who witness to Muslims. The Islamic revolutionary group Hizbut Tahrir is active in Uzbekistan. Additionally, hundreds of Uzbeks are fighting with the al-Qaeda affiliate Jaysh al-Fateh in Idlib, Syria. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU, based in Afghanistan) has pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS). Uzbekistan clearly has grounds to be seriously concerned about 'extremism'. Instead of helping, the West's Cold War stance just ensures the authorities will view Protestant Christianity (which they regard as Western) with suspicion and hostility.

[Extra background: 'Why Andijan Changed Everything', by E. Kendal (for WEA RLC) 23 March 2007.]

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL:

* give Uzbekistan's Christians, especially pastors and evangelists, great wisdom as they seek to navigate the increasingly hostile and difficult environment; may the Holy Spirit guide them as they strive to grow and witness whist being 'wise as serpents and innocent as doves'. 'Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.' (Jesus, in Matthew 10:16 ESV)

* forge solidarity between Orthodox and Protestant denominations, both locally and internationally, that believers will be a blessing to each other through testing times. 'Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.' (1 John 4:11 ESV)

* raise up workers with the necessary language and technical skills for Gospel radio, satellite and internet ministries for ministry in increasingly repressive Central Asia; may Jehovah-jireh, the Lord our provider, provide all their needs.

* work in mysterious ways to restore openness and bring relief to Uzbekistan's persecuted Protestants, praying for Uzbek President Islam Karimov, his regional ally Vladimir Putin and Uzbekistan's reform-minded Muslims and praying for improvements in human rights and international relations. May the Lord enable a breakthrough in Uzbekistan.


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN WHOLE ARTICLE
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NO RELIGION WITHOUT PERMISSION IN UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan has enacted a Prevention Law aimed at preventing all practice of religion without state permission. The law empowers state bodies, committees and district councils to enforce religion laws and requires them to report those they suspect might be guilty of  religious crimes, such as 'teaching' religion or storing religious materials without permission. Persecution against Protestants has escalated as police raids, administrative detentions and massive fines are issued to believers for simply sharing their faith or possessing Christian materials. Police brutality and torture are endemic. On 8 May Murot Turdiyev (a Protestant) was beaten and then strangled by police until he lost consciousness. Another Protestant, Guljahon Kuzebayeva, is so afraid that she has been in hiding since police raided her home 12 months ago. Please pray for Uzbekistan and its Christians.

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Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah Speaks to Christians Today 
(Deror Books, Dec 2012).