Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 227 | Wed 11 Sep 2013
PERSECUTION AT UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS
and intercessory prayer is integral to the spiritual battle.
By Elizabeth Kendal
The Body of Christ is suffering so much violence and trauma these days that when it comes to choosing a focus for prayer, it is difficult to know where to start. For example on 30 August eleven Laos families (50 people) were expelled from their village and sent out into the bush for refusing to renounce Christ. On 1 September nine Catholics -- seven members of one family, including children -- were massacred by Fulani Muslim gunmen in Nigeria's Kaduna State. On 4 September jihadists killed eight Syrian soldiers before seizing control of the Aramaic-speaking, Christian village of Maaloula in western Syria. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR) is one situation the world is ignoring which requires persistent, enduring prayer.
On 6 September the UN expressed alarm at the continuing violence in CAR, a French-speaking predominantly Christian state that has been seized by a coalition of local and foreign Arabic-speaking Islamic rebels. UN investigators report that whole villages have been burnt and abandoned. Massive displacement has resulted in widespread hunger and soaring rates of malaria -- a serious humanitarian crisis unfolding. Rebel leader and self-proclaimed president Michel Djotodia cannot pay the Islamic militants who brought him to power, so he is content to let them fend for themselves, leaving them free to rape, kill and loot with impunity. Whilst Muslim villages are being spared, the Church is being targeted with all the religious hatred that the militants can muster. Pastor Gerald Bomana, the leader of an evangelical church in Bangui, was in his church office when it was thoroughly looted by a band of rebels. He was shocked and saddened to see his own neighbour amongst the looters. On 27 August between 5000 and 6000 civilians fled violence and sought refuge at the Bangui M'Poko International Airport which was being protected by 400 French troops. However, the French troops told them that protecting civilians was not part of their mandate. Eventually the displaced and traumatised civilians were 'evacuated' so that flights could resume.
Two other situations where known believers are being targeted require immediate, urgent prayer.
AFGHANISTAN - INDIA: In RLPB 221(30 July) prayer was requested for Afghan converts, in particular the Afghan Christian refugees in the growing Afghan Church in New Delhi, India. As reports emerge about the growth of Christianity among Afghans, Afghan MPs are issuing fresh calls for Islamic laws mandating death for apostates to be implemented. When MP Nazir Ahmad Hanafi recently raised the issue in the Afghan Parliament, parliamentary speaker Abdul Rauf Rahimi ordered the country's national security services to take serious steps to stop the spread of Christianity. Furthermore, lawmaker Abdul Sattar Khawasi demanded that the Afghan government pressure the Indian authorities to provide a list of Afghans who have converted to Christianity there. We must pray for Pastor Obaid S Christ, the pastor of the 250-strong protestant Afghan Church in New Delhi. Not only is it reported he has received threats from the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, but over ten consecutive nights around the end of August, Afghan media broadcast images of the pastor, calling for him to be killed.
SOMALIA: On 9 September Morning Star News reported on the martyrdom of Christian wife and mother Fatuma Isak Elmi (35). It also reported the kidnapping of 13-year-old Mustaf Hassan who has already lost two Christian relatives to al-Shabaab. Last year Mustaf's parents, Hassan Mohammed and Farhio Omar, were threatened because they were Christians. While they went into hiding, so Mustaf could continue his schooling he went to live with a Muslim relative in Marka District. On 3 September Mustaf was kidnapped by al-Shabaab while walking home from school. There has been no ransom demand, leading observers to suspect that al-Shabaab is trying to draw Mustaf's parents out of hiding.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT --
* our ever-present faithful God will comfort the hearts of persecuted and threatened believers everywhere, sustaining their faith and drawing them into prayer.
* Christians in Central African Republic (CAR) will know that while they are being persecuted they are not being abandoned (2 Cor 4:9) -- not by God nor by the Church; may the Lord of Hosts intervene in CAR. 'When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. This I know, that God is for me.' (Psalm 56:3,9c ESV)
* God will preserve, sustain and build his Afghan Church, protecting Afghan believers, including those who are refugees, and providing all their needs. May our sovereign faithful God be a shield and strong fortress to Pastor Obaid in New Delhi and that all plots against him will fail. 'The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.' (Proverbs 18:10 ESV)
* God, who is both a compassionate Father and consuming fire, will intervene on behalf of Mustaf Hassan and his parents, Hassan Mohammed and Farhio Omar, and that this faithful family will be reunited; may those who seek to destroy the Church find themselves destroyed. (Isaiah 40:10-11)
'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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PERSECUTION AT UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS
The Body of Christ today is suffering a degree of persecution not seen previously in our lifetime. In Central African Republic a serious humanitarian crisis is unfolding as the predominantly Christian population suffers terror at the hands of Islamic rebels. Afghan converts risk death not only in Afghanistan but also in India because the Afghan media is inciting violence against them, particularly Pastor Obaid. In Somalia, al-Shabaab routinely kills Somali converts. Mustaf (13), who has already lost two Christian relatives to al-Shabaab, was recently kidnapped by militants seeking to draw his Christian parents out of hiding. Jesus promised: 'I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' (Matthew 16:18) Intercessory prayer is integral to the spiritual battle. Please pray.
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Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today
(Deror Books, Dec 2012)
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
RLPB 226. Christian refugees and the case of Rabeel from Pakistan
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 226 | Wed 04 Sep 2013
CHRISTIAN REFUGEES AND THE CASE OF RABEEL FROM PAKISTAN
-- plus UPDATE on SYRIA
By Elizabeth Kendal
All genuine rescue operations are discriminatory, with the weakest and most vulnerable being rescued first. A refugee policy that is 'non-discriminatory' is a policy that has been corrupted with populist politics and political correctness. Non-discriminatory refugee policies actually compound the discrimination already being suffered by the weakest, most vulnerable, marginalised and persecuted peoples in the world. Imagine if a non-discriminatory policy were imposed on a rescue service: the strong would jostle for position while the weak would die waiting. No civilised state would accept such a scenario. Yet this is exactly what a non-discriminatory refugee policy produces.
Rabeel (21) is the eldest of five children of Christian parents. A bright, dedicated scholar and strong Christian, he was studying Veterinary Medicine at Jhang University in Lahore, Pakistan, when on 26 August 2012, he travelled to Lahore to submit his application for a renewal of his Merit Scholarship. He travelled with his trusted friend, fellow student Hammad-ul-Rahman, a Muslim. When her son did not return or contact home after two days, Rabeel's mother grew concerned.
As a Pakistani Christian, Rabeel was no stranger to persecution. However, as is commonly the case, the persecution escalated dramatically at university where, as a high achiever, he was under constant pressure to convert to Islam. Unbeknown to Rabeel, Hammad -- who had been a friend since High School days -- secretly had become actively involved with the Islamic terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Instead of travelling to Lahore with Rabeel, Hammad handed him over to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rabeel was in the terror group's custody for three days, during which time he was plied with drugs, beaten, electrocuted and pack-raped as the militants sought to convert him to Islam and use him in a terror attack against the West. On 29 August 2012 Gujranwala District Police Station informed Rabeel's parents that they had Rabeel in custody and that if the family did not collect him soon they would be sending him to a psychiatric facility as he was clearly out of his mind. Rabeel's family rushed to his aid.
After three local hospitals refused to treat him because he was a Christian and marked by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the family sought help from an expensive private hospital in Lahore. In its Intensive Care Unit, Rabeel slowly improved. Though he was discharged on 9 September 2012, Rabeel was still severely traumatised and his behaviour grew increasingly erratic. Eventually he stopped eating and began self-harming. By 18 October Rabeel was admitted to a public hospital. On 22 October two jeeps arrived at the hospital and a mob of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants stormed in, accompanied by police. Rabeel, his family and the hospital staff were threatened with death if they dared file charges or issue medical reports. Rabeel had to leave the hospital and the family went into hiding. With the militants hunting them and using Rabeel's mobile SIM card to make threatening calls, the family fled abroad. They have been languishing in a refugee camp for some 10 months now with relatives in Australia providing aid. They are going through the official UNHCR channels and waiting. However, Rabeel is fading and is not eating. If this family is not rescued soon, then Rabeel may well die waiting.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL --
* intervene and in grace and power expedite the rescue of this Christian family who have lost everything due to violent persecution.
* bring healing to Rabeel's body and mind and comfort and strength to the whole family.
* intervene on behalf of all Christian refugees whose lives are imminently imperilled but who struggle to make claims because they lack medical records and police reports (because as persecuted Christians they simply cannot get them).
'You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; judge my cause.' (Lamentations 3:58-59 ESV)
* change the thinking of Western policy makers, so that they will recognise that, in these days of escalating sectarianism, Islamic radicalisation, religious persecution and impunity, persecuted religious minorities require priority consideration.
SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
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CHRISTIAN REFUGEE FROM PAKISTAN NEEDS URGENT PRAYER
As a strong Christian, high achieving university student in Lahore, Rabeel (21) faced constant pressure to convert to Islam. As he resisted, persecution escalated. Eventually, a trusted Muslim friend betrayed Rabeel to the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Over three days, Rabeel was plied with drugs, beaten, electrocuted and pack-raped as the militants sought to convert him to Islam and use him in a terror attack against the West. When his family found him, Rabeel was horribly wounded and severely traumatised. As a Christian marked by Lashkar-e-Taiba, it proved not only difficult to get medical treatment but impossible to get medical reports and police support. Forced to flee, this family of seven has been languishing in a refugee camp for the past 10 months; Rabeel is fading. Please pray.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE ON SYRIA
The only reason there are Christians surviving in Syria today is because they are being protected by the Syrian Arab Army in government-held areas. Because the rebels have surrounded and blockaded these areas, Western Christian aid groups have spent the last year or so funnelling in aid to help them survive. If the US attacks Syria, the protection provided by the Syrian Army will be greatly reduced, at least for a time. This could well open the floodgates for rebel invasions of Christian areas. On 3 September, the Deputy UN Envoy to Syria, Mokhtar Lamani, commented that sectarianism is now so serious that the risk of genocide is real. Please pray for God's intervention.
For prayer requests from a Syrian pastor: see here.
--------------------------------
Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today
(Deror Books, Dec 2012)
CHRISTIAN REFUGEES AND THE CASE OF RABEEL FROM PAKISTAN
-- plus UPDATE on SYRIA
By Elizabeth Kendal
All genuine rescue operations are discriminatory, with the weakest and most vulnerable being rescued first. A refugee policy that is 'non-discriminatory' is a policy that has been corrupted with populist politics and political correctness. Non-discriminatory refugee policies actually compound the discrimination already being suffered by the weakest, most vulnerable, marginalised and persecuted peoples in the world. Imagine if a non-discriminatory policy were imposed on a rescue service: the strong would jostle for position while the weak would die waiting. No civilised state would accept such a scenario. Yet this is exactly what a non-discriminatory refugee policy produces.
Rabeel (21) is the eldest of five children of Christian parents. A bright, dedicated scholar and strong Christian, he was studying Veterinary Medicine at Jhang University in Lahore, Pakistan, when on 26 August 2012, he travelled to Lahore to submit his application for a renewal of his Merit Scholarship. He travelled with his trusted friend, fellow student Hammad-ul-Rahman, a Muslim. When her son did not return or contact home after two days, Rabeel's mother grew concerned.
As a Pakistani Christian, Rabeel was no stranger to persecution. However, as is commonly the case, the persecution escalated dramatically at university where, as a high achiever, he was under constant pressure to convert to Islam. Unbeknown to Rabeel, Hammad -- who had been a friend since High School days -- secretly had become actively involved with the Islamic terror group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Instead of travelling to Lahore with Rabeel, Hammad handed him over to Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rabeel was in the terror group's custody for three days, during which time he was plied with drugs, beaten, electrocuted and pack-raped as the militants sought to convert him to Islam and use him in a terror attack against the West. On 29 August 2012 Gujranwala District Police Station informed Rabeel's parents that they had Rabeel in custody and that if the family did not collect him soon they would be sending him to a psychiatric facility as he was clearly out of his mind. Rabeel's family rushed to his aid.
After three local hospitals refused to treat him because he was a Christian and marked by Lashkar-e-Taiba, the family sought help from an expensive private hospital in Lahore. In its Intensive Care Unit, Rabeel slowly improved. Though he was discharged on 9 September 2012, Rabeel was still severely traumatised and his behaviour grew increasingly erratic. Eventually he stopped eating and began self-harming. By 18 October Rabeel was admitted to a public hospital. On 22 October two jeeps arrived at the hospital and a mob of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants stormed in, accompanied by police. Rabeel, his family and the hospital staff were threatened with death if they dared file charges or issue medical reports. Rabeel had to leave the hospital and the family went into hiding. With the militants hunting them and using Rabeel's mobile SIM card to make threatening calls, the family fled abroad. They have been languishing in a refugee camp for some 10 months now with relatives in Australia providing aid. They are going through the official UNHCR channels and waiting. However, Rabeel is fading and is not eating. If this family is not rescued soon, then Rabeel may well die waiting.
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL --
* intervene and in grace and power expedite the rescue of this Christian family who have lost everything due to violent persecution.
* bring healing to Rabeel's body and mind and comfort and strength to the whole family.
* intervene on behalf of all Christian refugees whose lives are imminently imperilled but who struggle to make claims because they lack medical records and police reports (because as persecuted Christians they simply cannot get them).
'You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; judge my cause.' (Lamentations 3:58-59 ESV)
* change the thinking of Western policy makers, so that they will recognise that, in these days of escalating sectarianism, Islamic radicalisation, religious persecution and impunity, persecuted religious minorities require priority consideration.
SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE
------------------------------------------------------------------
CHRISTIAN REFUGEE FROM PAKISTAN NEEDS URGENT PRAYER
As a strong Christian, high achieving university student in Lahore, Rabeel (21) faced constant pressure to convert to Islam. As he resisted, persecution escalated. Eventually, a trusted Muslim friend betrayed Rabeel to the terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Over three days, Rabeel was plied with drugs, beaten, electrocuted and pack-raped as the militants sought to convert him to Islam and use him in a terror attack against the West. When his family found him, Rabeel was horribly wounded and severely traumatised. As a Christian marked by Lashkar-e-Taiba, it proved not only difficult to get medical treatment but impossible to get medical reports and police support. Forced to flee, this family of seven has been languishing in a refugee camp for the past 10 months; Rabeel is fading. Please pray.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE ON SYRIA
The only reason there are Christians surviving in Syria today is because they are being protected by the Syrian Arab Army in government-held areas. Because the rebels have surrounded and blockaded these areas, Western Christian aid groups have spent the last year or so funnelling in aid to help them survive. If the US attacks Syria, the protection provided by the Syrian Army will be greatly reduced, at least for a time. This could well open the floodgates for rebel invasions of Christian areas. On 3 September, the Deputy UN Envoy to Syria, Mokhtar Lamani, commented that sectarianism is now so serious that the risk of genocide is real. Please pray for God's intervention.
For prayer requests from a Syrian pastor: see here.
--------------------------------
Elizabeth Kendal is the author of
Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today
(Deror Books, Dec 2012)
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