RLPB 286. Sudan Exposed: 'Starve them', 'empty the camps'

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 286 | Wed 12 Nov 2014


SUDAN EXPOSED: 'STARVE THEM', 'EMPTY THE CAMPS'
By Elizabeth Kendal

On 31 August Sudan's most senior military and security officials met in the National Defense College, Khartoum, for a Military and Security Committee Meeting to discuss the 'Management of Military Activities'. In what can be described only as a major security breach, the minutes of that meeting were subsequently leaked to long-time Sudan researcher, expert and advocate, Eric Reeves. The document has now been fully translated and verified as authentic.

The 13 officials, most of whom are generals, spent considerable time discussing how they might manipulate the 2015 national elections to give themselves 'another five years of legitimacy'. They also discussed international relations, describing Iran as 'our biggest ally in the region', and a 'strategic partner'. [for a case study see: RLM 20 Nov 2013]. The minutes confirm that Sudan is supporting numerous Islamic jihadist movements,  including the al-Houthi (Shi'ites) in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and Libya Dawn in Tripoli (Libya). Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein even boasts that nobody has a data-base of jihadist groups as extensive as Sudan's. Regarding Khartoum's co-operation on counter-terrorism with the Obama administration (USA), the Defence Minister confirmed: 'We release only limited information to the Americans according to the request and the price is the armed movements file.' This statement gives rise to concerns that the Obama administration might be selling out opposition movements that are merely resisting Islamisation, racial-religious hatred and genocide.

Amnesty International report (June 2014)

Critically, the officials lament that, in the wake of military successes by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army - North (SPLM/A-N), crop cultivation has gone ahead in large areas of South Kordofan, where the Nuba Mountains are located. Director General of the Intelligence and Security, General Siddiq Amer, insisted that this year's healthy sorghum crop be destroyed. 'We must not allow them to harvest these crops,' he said. 'We must starve them,' so they will desert the SPLM/A-N and be open to recruitment by the Government of Sudan (GoS).

This is exactly what the GoS did in the Nuba Genocide of the early 1990s, when they bombed and starved the people to the brink of death before offering them food and shelter in 'Peace Camps', but only on conversion to Islam, complete with name change, indoctrination and often military recruitment as well. Hundreds of thousands of Nuba chose to starve rather than convert, in what must surely be the most difficult call any parent could make.

click on map to enlarge

 Concerning South Sudan, the minutes are clear: Khartoum has been interfering in and prolonging South Sudan's civil war by arming and backing the forces of the sacked Vice President Riek Machar. The plan is for South Sudan to adopt a federal system as approved by President Kirr and announced by IGAD on 22 October, with Riek Machar ruling over the oil-rich 'Greater Upper Nile' region, comprising Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states. It is Khartoum's intention that Greater Upper Nile will secede from South Sudan and be annexed by Sudan, thereby restoring all the oil fields to Khartoum without Khartoum having to fire a shot. To that end, Chief of Joint Operations, Lt Gen. Imadadiin Adawi, proposed that Riek Machar be commissioned and equipped to 'clean [ethnically cleanse] the whole Greater Upper Nile area'.

Samaritan's Purse, Yida Camp

Furthermore, Director of Military Intelligence and Security, Lt Gen. Siddiig Aamir, proposed that regime forces 'infiltrate and empty the refugee camps' in South Sudan's oil-rich Unity and Upper Nile States on the false premise that the Government of South Sudan is arming and supporting the SPLA-N. [Yida Camp in Unity State is run by Samaritan's Purse and is home to many thousands of mostly Christian refugees from the Nuba Mountains.] According to Aamir, the aim is that, once separated from their food and shelter, the traumatised, desperate refugees then could be recruited (doubtless with food and shelter) to fight against the SPLA-N. This is the same GoS signature strategy to be employed in South Kordofan.

PLEASE PRAY (from Psalm 10):

'Arise, O Lord; O God lift up your hand' ... 

* to 'break the arm [strength/power] of the wicked and evil doer' (v15a): may the regime's supply-lines be broken; may fake partnerships and toxic alliances that hurt your people be broken; may weapons, equipment, planes and runways to be used against your people be broken; may channels of funding be broken; may lines of communication be broken -- may the power of this wicked regime be decisively broken once and for all.

* to block the schemes of haughty, wicked men who will spare no effort and no human being to seize power and riches for themselves; Lord, call their wickedness into account (v15b); may none of what is planned come to pass.

* to defend the helpless and afflicted: shield their bodies, preserve their crops, protect their camps, guard their hearts, hear their prayers and build your Church.

Sadly, all of this was predictable [see: Turn Back the Battle -- chapter 9, Christian Security: not in a 'covenant with death']. May the LORD have mercy on the long-suffering but faithful Church in South Kordofan and South Sudan as Christians suffer the consequences of the bad and faithless political decisions of their leaders.

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SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE 
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SUDAN EXPOSED

Due to a serious security breach, minutes of a 31 August meeting of Sudan's most senior defence and intelligence personnel have been leaked. Now verified as authentic, they expose the belligerent and genocidal nature of the regime in Khartoum. The regime's support for various Islamic jihadist groups is confirmed and Iran is lauded as 'our biggest ally in the region'.  Critically, the officials discuss the need to destroy crops growing in South Kordofan so as to starve the Nuba people into submission. They also discuss plans to 'infiltrate and empty the [refugee] camps' in South Sudan so the regime  might then recruit the refugees as fighters. Yida Camp in Unity State is run by Samaritan's Purse and is home to many thousands of displaced, mostly Christian Nuba. 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).

RLPB 285. Chhattisgarh, India: Bastar ready to explode

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 285 | Wed 05 Nov 2014

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Supporting International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted Church
IDOP 2014: Sunday 9 November
See: Critical Prayer Requests (CPR)
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CHHATTISGARH, INDIA: BASTAR READY TO EXPLODE
plus updates: Houston, USA; Pakistan
By Elizabeth Kendal

The Indian state of Chhattisgarh in north India's tribal belt has long been a hot-bed of hindutva (Hindu nationalist) activism.  Thousands of Christians -- often under duress -- have been 'returned to the Hindu fold' in ghar wapsi (home-coming) 're-conversion' events.  When India's desperately impoverished and disadvantaged Dalits ('untouchables') convert to Christianity they lose their scheduled caste status along with the benefits that affords. Hence the economic benefits of 're-conversion' can be very alluring. [See RLPB 276 (2 Sept 2014) for background.] On 10 October the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment in Narendra Modi's BJP-led government, Thawar Chand Gehlot, confirmed that Dalits who convert to Christianity are no longer considered Dalits and therefore no longer have rights to Dalit 'reservations': affirmative action, reserved jobs and places in education.

Since early May hindutva activists have been encouraging Hindus in Chhattisgarh's southern Bastar district to use the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Act to issue rulings banning Christianity. (This Act facilitates rural self-government by empowering village assemblies.) By the end of July some 50 villages across Bastar district had used the Act to ban non-Hindu religious practice. Persecution has soared and Christians are being intimidated, abused, assaulted and even denied access to food rations and water -- all with impunity. [See RLPB 270 (22 July 2014) for background.] In September Christian organisations in Chhattisgarh filed a petition in the Bilaspur High Court contesting the constitutionality of the bans.

On 9 October Dinesh Kashyap, an MP from the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), visited Madota village. While there he conducted a ghar wapsi ceremony in which he washed the feet of 35 'neo-Christians' (presumably converts) and announced their return to the Hindu fold. 

Madota church. (Scroll.in) 

Kashyap stirred up the local Hindus and left them fuming over conversions. They have since directed their hostility towards the Madota church and the regular prayer meetings being held there.

Persecution with impunity is prevalent across Bastar. Morning Star News reports that on Sunday 19 October a group of around 30 Hindus besieged a Christian worship service in Madota. Most of the Hindus remained outside chanting anti-Christian slogans while five militants entered the church and beat the Christians, including women and children. Local Hindus subsequently forbade the Christians from using the water pump near the church. Also on Sunday 19 October some 25 Hindus staged a similar attack on a church in Farasgaon. The next day a Christian named Laxman was beaten unconscious in Tokapal area by his three Hindu brothers and was unconscious for 24 hours. Other Christians and churches have been threatened.

In a purported effort to ease communal tensions, local officials in Madota invited Christians to attend a mediation meeting on Saturday morning 25 October. The Christians were told that the sub-divisional magistrate, deputy superintendent of police and town inspector would be there to discuss the district administration’s response to the Christian petition in the Bilaspur High Court. Though the Christians attended, nobody else did. The Christians waited at the meeting place all day. In the evening a truck carrying some 50 Hindu militants arrived. Wearing saffron bands and armed with swords, sticks and axes, they violently attacked the defenceless Christians, accusing them of 'forcible conversions'. Fifteen Christians were wounded, with 12 requiring hospitalisation for serious injuries. Some Christians are so afraid they have gone into hiding. Bastar officials refuse to admit that religion had anything to do with the attack. Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) president Arun Pannalal believes that the manner in which the attack was orchestrated raises suspicions that local officials were complicit with the attackers. 

This is an extremely dangerous situation. Chhattisgarh -- indeed the whole tribal belt -- is a tinderbox of anti-Christian radical Hindu nationalist communalism due to decades of unchecked hindutva activism.


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT --

* the petition in the Bilaspur High Court will be successful; may religious freedom be upheld and  impunity end.

* God will supply the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum and all other Christian organisations aiding Chhattisgarh's persecuted and imperilled believers with everything they need: wisdom, insight, courage, strength, faith, personnel and funds.

'For nothing will be impossible with God.' (Luke 1:37 ESV)

* God will intervene in this hostile and exceedingly dangerous, incendiary environment, calming the situation and removing those who would like to light the fire and fan the flames.

* India's Christians will draw ever closer to Christ and grow in faith as they experience his presence. 'Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.' (Psalm 57:1 ESV)


SUMMARY FOR BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE 
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TENSIONS ERUPT IN INDIA'S BASTAR DISTRICT

Tensions are erupting in Chhattisgarh's southern Bastar district as violent persecution with impunity becomes prevalent. At least 50 villages have banned all non-Hindu religious practice. In many places Christians are being denied food rations and access to water. Churches are being attacked and Christians assaulted without the authorities intervening, which guarantees that the situation will escalate. Officials in Madota invited Christians to meet with them for mediation on 25 October. The Christians attended but nobody else did. Then in the evening a truck arrived with 50 Hindu militants who attacked the defenceless Christians with knives, swords and axes.  Fifteen believers were wounded and 12 required hospitalisation for serious injuries. Many Christians have fled. Impunity is almost inevitable. Please pray for the Church in India.

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UPDATE to RLPB 284: HOUSTON, USA

Houston City has withdrawn the subpoena on sermons/speeches and other communications issued to five pastors involved in opposing the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). After some 'civil discourse' with Houston pastors, Houston Mayor Annise Parker said she had not intended to trigger a conflict over religious liberty. The mayor's office had been bombarded with responses and over one thousand Bibles that were sent to the office will now be donated to other causes that have requested them. While the subpoenas have been withdrawn, the struggle over the HERO continues.

UPDATE: PAKISTAN - breaking news

On 4 November a young Christian couple, Shahbaz Maseeh (32) and his pregnant wife Shama Bibi (28) -- both bonded labourers (slaves) -- were savagely murdered by a large mob of angry Muslims in the town of Kot Radha Kishan, Punjab Province. Local mosques had broadcast the claim that the couple had desecrated Qur'anic texts. According to some reports the couple were beaten to death and then burned. Other reports say they were alive when thrown into the kiln. Police are reportedly investigating and have increased security around Christian neighbourhoods.  The couple had reportedly been under extreme pressure and were not being paid. When they applied to leave they were told that as bonded labourers they would have to pay to redeem themselves. But it was much more than they could afford, so they were planning to flee with their four young children. Pray for the Church in Pakistan.

Report from World Watch Monitor

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