Tag Archives: persecution

Crackdown on Believers Continue in Northwest China

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In China, the government continues to assert more and more control over religious expression. They are particularly harsh toward minority groups, such as the Muslim Uyghur people, while also cracking down on Christians.

In Northwest China, which is home to more than 10 million ethnic Muslim Uyghurs, more than 500,000 Uyghurs (mostly men) are being held in re-education camps, including some Christians who have converted from Islam. In these facilities, items from several religions—such as Bibles or Islamic clothing—are prohibited. Daily propaganda classes are conducted in an attempt to “cleanse Uyghur minds.”

Thankfully, the Christians among the Uyghurs have a special chance to witness as they are persecuted alongside Muslims. For Muslims, Allah is often seen as being distant and impersonal, and their persecution part of his will for them. Our Christian brothers and sisters, on the other hand, trust that the Spirit of Jesus dwells with them and experience His closeness. Although they face extra persecution in being both Uyghurs and Christians, they often function as the “salt” in these scenarios, preserving hope and joy, as well as freedom from fear and bitterness.

Please pray for all Christian Uyghurs in China, for those in the camps as well as those at home. Pray for God’s power and love to sustain them.

Pray that Jesus reveals Himself to Muslim Uyghurs when they cry out in their time of need.

Pray that Muslim Uyghurs’ lives are touched by the unconditional love and witness of the Christian Uyghurs around them.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Six Christians Killed by Militants in the DRC

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Sadly, Open Doors has learned that militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) recently killed six Christians in Kalua—a predominately Christian village in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to our sources in-country, the attackers pretended to be security agents when they arrived in the village. The militia then fired indiscriminately at villagers and killed three women and a 9-year-old child.

A nurse working at a hospital in the nearby city of Beni reported to Open Doors that the attackers then proceeded some 500 meters towards the house of the head of the village. When they shot and killed the guard dogs, it sent people fleeing. Tragically, two people trying to escape were also killed.

A local community leader in Kalau who asked for anonymity because he fears for his safety, told Open Doors, “We have heard the rebels saying they worked for long in the domains of kidnapping and killings, but now they want to move to the stage of occupying the territory. They want to occupy the area that they claim as theirs.”

According to Pastor Gilbert Kambale, who runs a civil society organization in Beni, an estimated 470 families fled to Beni following the incident. Most sought refuge with various host families and in schools.

Please pray the Lord comforts those who have lost loved ones in the attack.

Pray the Lord will intervene in the situation in this part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pray the Christian community is able to support one another and also be salt and light to the surrounding communities in this time of grief and uncertainty.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Ocasio-Cortez Fundraising Email: Let’s End The US-Israeli Relationship

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Well, if you thought there would be a day where the far left wing of the House Democratic caucus would quiet down a bit, given their anti-Semitism issues, you’d be wrong. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sent a fundraising email last night suggesting that AIPAC was coming after her and that the U.S.-Israeli relationship should be severed. No, I’m not kidding. This is insanity. AOC has been one of the few defenders of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who once again was accused of anti-Semitism for suggesting those who support Israel are exhibiting dual loyalty. The latter is a common anti-Semitic smear. Omar has also peddled the talking point about Jewish money and influence with her “all about the Benjamins” tweet.
In 2012, she said that Israel had hypnotized the world. She’s run the gauntlet on this front. The recent dual loyalty fiasco has given her party leadership heartburn, exposing its fractured points with this resolution that condemns anti-Semitism, which has been watered down because…apparently, there are a lot of Democrats who don’t think this is an issue. They’re just angry that their side is being pilloried for peddling bigotry when they wanted the entire focus to be on Trump and his phantom prejudices. So, after days of anti-Semitic theater, AOC decided to blast this fundraising email.

Read it here.

Iranian Officials Interrogate 65-year Old Christian Woman

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Open Doors is saddened to report that Iranian authorities continue to arrest Christians, including a 65-year old woman who was held in detention and interrogated day and night for ten days.

A few days before Christmas, security officials raided Ruhsari Kamberi’s home in Karaj while she and four other female Christian converts were present, reports Middle East Concern (MEC). The officers also confiscated belongings such as mobile phones, Bibles and Christian literature.

Ruhsari was eventually released on bail of 30 million Toman—approximately $7,000. However, earlier this month, she was still charged with “acting against national security” and was told to receive “instruction” by a religious leader and consider a return to Islam.

It is still not known where the other four women were taken.

Friends of Ruhsari have been shocked by the disrespectful treatment of an elderly woman and report that the experience upset her greatly.

Please pray God will help all Christians who are arrested and interrogated in Iran to stand firm in their faith.

Pray God will bring His peace, comfort and encouragement to Ruhsari and the other women arrested with her.

Pray God will also bring His comfort to Ruhsari’s husband and children and the relatives of the other women.

Pray the people responsible for the mistreatment of the women and the violations of their rights will repent of their actions and find Christ.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Second Pastor Murdered in Colombia in a Week

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Pastor Tomas Francisco Estrada * was murdered recently in a rural area in the Colombian Pacific. He was the second pastor murdered in this region in one week.

With 11 years of ministerial work, Pastor Estrada was highly recognized by the entire community as a pastor dedicated to the service of his congregation. He was an active social leader who spearheaded efforts related to justice and restoration of rights.

Pastor Estrada was the father of two small children. His wife, Luisa Montes*, had a nervous breakdown at the news of her husband’s murder. She has not recovered. He also leaves a congregation of approximately 80 people who lament his untimely and violent death.

Thankfully, there are many pastors and religious leaders who also serve as social leaders in Colombia. They stand up to the threats of criminal groups and are advocates for the restoration of Christians’ rights. These leaders are increasingly coming under attack.

Please pray for restored health and comfort for Luisa Montes and her children as well as financial support for them.

Pray for peace, comfort and courage for the pastoral community of the Colombian Pacific.

Pray for the protection of pastors and Christian leaders in the areas most affected by violence in Colombia.

Pray for economic and pastoral support for families affected by the murders and attacks against religious leaders.

Pray for courage for pastors threatened for preaching the Gospel of Christ and fighting for justice.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Signs Persecution is Worsening in North Korea

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As President Trump and Kim Jong-un meet in Vietnam for a second round of denuclearization talks, North Koreans continue to suffer human rights abuses and food shortages. However, North Korea’s human rights record, including religious persecution, is not part of the agenda.

For the 18th straight year North Korea is ranked #1 on the World Watch List.

Tragically, there are many signs that persecution of Christians in North Korea is getting worse. Local sources report to Open Doors there has been an increased number of arrests and abductions of South Korean and Chinese Korean Christians and missionaries in China, strengthened border control with harsher punishment for North Korean citizens who are repatriated from China, and increased efforts by the North Korean government to eliminate all channels for spreading the Christian faith.

Pray that Christians in North Korea would find hope and comfort in Jesus. Pray they would have opportunities to share this hope with others around them.

Pray God would soften the heart of Kim Jong-un as He did Pharaoh’s.

Pray for the work Open Doors does to support North Korean believers.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

UPDATE: Eldos’ Struggles Continue

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Last fall, we reported that Eldos Satar Uluu—a young Kyrgyz man—was attacked by three radical Muslim men who tried to force him to convert back to Islam. He sustained severe physical injuries and suffered emotional trauma. Since the attack Eldos has continued to receive violent threats from people in his village, reportedly including high ranking officials.

Recently, there was a trial in Eldos’ case. Tragically, the trial did not focus on holding these men accountable for their violent attack. Instead, Eldos was accused of listening to loud religious music and distributing religious materials and religious propaganda.

To make matters worse, the Christian attorney who has been helping Eldos since the beginning of his case also had a heart attack during the trial and is currently hospitalized. She initially tried to stay up to date on what was going on in court by using her phone, however, the police eventually confiscated the device.

Please pray Eldos’ faith will be strengthened and that he will grow deeper in his knowledge of Christ. He is very new to his faith.

Pray for the health and safety of Eldos’ attorney.

Pray a safe place for Eldos to live would be found quickly.

Pray there would be justice in Eldos’ court case.

After you click “Pray” below, if you’d like to write Eldos a letter of encouragement, please CLICK HERE.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

UPDATE: Shamiram’s Appeal Hearing

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We recently requested prayer for Assyrian Christian Shamiram Isavi Khabizeh who was facing an appeal hearing on February 19th. She was appealing a five-year prison sentence for acting against the regime by organizing Christian small groups, attending a seminary abroad and training church leaders and pastors to “act as spies.”

Reportedly, at the appeal hearing, the judge was confused as to whether Shamiram’s case should be combined with two other cases. The other cases involve her husband Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz, their son Ramiel Bet-Tamraz, as well as Christian converts Amin Nader Afshari, Hadi Asgari and Kavian Fallah Mohammadi and two others.

The judge set a next court hearing for March 21st—the Iranian New Year—and is still determining whether the cases will be combined. In the meantime, Iranian Christians are thankful that the appeal hearing went reasonably well and the judge appeared to be seriously examining the case. They request continued prayer.

Please pray the Lord will direct the judge as he prepares for the hearing in March.

Pray justice will be upheld in the appeal hearing for Shamiram and the other five defendants and that they will be acquitted of all the charges against them.

Pray the Lord will strengthen and encourage Shamiram, Pastor Victor and all Iranian Christians who are falsely accused of acts against national security simply because of their Christian faith and activities.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Lies and Deceit

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Morning coffee, work day looming with the breaking sun. Perusing the newswires, both secular & religious, seeing two attributes of humankinds sinful nature burning across most of the headlines.

Those two are lies and deceit.

I could ramble on that our world is worse today than earlier ages, I prefer to think its only because all of our dung/news is instantly thrown in everyones face, there’s very little that goes on in the world today that cannot be read about or seen in short order.

From the sins of the Catholic Church to transgressions across the Protestant & Evangelical congregations; sin abounds. From fake hate crimes to environmental absurdities lies foment discord. From the halls of educational establishments throughout the corridors of law & government, lies and deceit rule the day.

All of this, the only thing that comes to mind is Jeremiah 5:30. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Also a why, Genesis 6:5. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Yes, there are stories of GOD’s Grace, of His Love, of mercy & forgiveness. Also stories of heroism & courage, but all of this, in our day, is overshadowed by two sins, lies & deceit. Like dark clouds rising before a tempest, to me, these are forerunners to a greater storm coming soon.

Centers of Hope Bringing Life Back to Syrian Christians

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Great work is being done at the 15 Centers of Hope that are run by churches in various gathering spaces in communities across Syria. These centers serve as an extension of the church to reach out to people and gather them into a more closely-knit community. Here, “… Christians could feel like they’re more of a family,” says Ibrahim*, an Open Doors staff member.

Besides the usual food donations and house visits, these centers touch on issues that are “customized towards the needs of the congregation,” explains pastor Edmund, another Open Doors’ staff.

One example of programming to help support children who have been traumatized by war is the opportunity to get outdoors and engage in sports and teamwork. The Centers of Hope of Damascus’s and Aleppo’s Alliance churches have highly successful football programs. “We try to include as many church backgrounds in the program,” says Vera, “and the kids are loving it!”

The struggle of the war put a strain on people when it came to staying active, socializing, and receiving quality health care. This is especially true for women who couldn’t leave their homes as often as men and often set aside their wellbeing in order to take care of their families. These struggles were addressed in the first of many medical-awareness lectures that took place at the opening night of a Center of Hope in Damascus.

Please join us in thanking God that the Centers of Hope are helping bring life back to weary Christians across Syria.

Praise God He is using these programs to bring healing to men, women, children and families in these communities.

Pray that this work would continue strong.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

China hearing gospel via Africa; church growing amid brutal persecution

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Read story here.

As the Chinese economically invest in and build infrastructure in Africa, Africans are evangelizing the Chinese.

In 2014, trade between China and Africa reached an all-time high in 2014, according to the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University and McKinsey & Company. Billions of dollars in loans from China to Africa in addition to foreign direct investment have increased significantly in recent years.

Meanwhile, as a result of the influx of Chinese resources and approximately 10,000 Chinese-owned companies, the estimated 227,000 to 1 million Chinese working on the continent are hearing the message of the Gospel from African evangelical Christians.

“Many local African churches have reached out to Chinese workers, including incorporating Mandarin into services. A number of Chinese, in turn, have welcomed the sense of community and belonging that these Christian churches offer,” according to UnHerd Wednesday.

“And a small but growing number of ethnically Chinese missionaries from Taiwan and other countries are specifically targeting Chinese nationals in Africa, preaching to them with a freedom they’d never be allowed in the People’s Republic.”

Two-Year Anniversary of Pastor Koh’s Abduction in Malaysia

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As of today, no one has seen Pastor Raymond Koh in exactly two years. Twenty-four months ago, he disappeared as a result of a coordinated abduction carried out in broad daylight. Sadly, Pastor Koh remains missing to this day and there are still more questions than answers.

Remarkably, in the midst of the pain of grief, good things are still happening. Last night about 100 people attended a gathering held to remember and pray for Pastor Koh. Those gathered also prayed for the missing Christian convert Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife, Ruth, as well as Amri Che Mat—a Shia Muslim who disappeared in circumstances similar to what happened to Koh.

The group consisted of church members and leaders from across the denominations. “It is a miracle that one family’s life has united all of us,” said a participant.

Even in the midst of her sorrows, Susanna—Pastor Koh’s wife—is able to see how God has been at work since her husband disappeared. She shared that churches in Malaysia have come together to say that these disappearances are not acceptable. “This is the first time we see the evangelicals and the Roman Catholics come together. They hold hands and pray. And I know that God is pleased with this.”

Please pray for strength for Susanna as she continues to wait for justice for her husband.

Pray the memorandum submitted to the Prime Mahathir Bin Mohamadtoday will find favor with him and that he will seek to resolve these disappearances.

Pray that the unity that has been sparked by these disappearances will continue to grow.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Photo: Facebook/Everybody Loves Raymond Koh

Scripture of the Day

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Jeremiah 18
7. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
8. If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
9. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10. If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
11. Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.
12. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

Is the LORD unjust when He judges peoples and nations? I think not, if they repent of their evil & wickedness He spares them from the judgment prepared for them.

Yet mankind in all their glorious ignorance continually rejects the GOD who created them saying “…
There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart. ...”

Fire Destroys Election Office in Nigeria

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In regions where Christians are persecuted, elections can be important. Depending on who is elected, a vote could potentially increase the threat to believers in the region. In other situations, elections could increase protections for minority groups. And, sometimes, elections sometimes offer little change at all.

We are sad to report, then, that Nigeria—which is 12thon the Open Doors 2019 World Watch List—is facing several challenges related to their coming elections. Just days before Nigerianshead to the poles to votein presidential elections, an election office in Qua’an Pan has been burned to the ground. The BBC reports that fire destroyed everything needed to vote, including ballot boxes and voting slips. A spokesperson called it a setback in preparing for the elections.

In the coming vote, President Buhari’s All Progressives Congress is expected to suffer loss in the Middle Belt region due to its failure to deal with communal violence there. The president, who is seeking re-election, has already warned about internal conflict over the elections, telling The Pulse, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised concerns over laundered money being funneled into vote buying.”

Please pray for peaceful, free and fair elections.

Pray for the Lord’s protection over His children. Pray that they will vote in large numbers this Saturday and vote wisely. Pray for their safety as they vote.

Pray that the Lord will put in power a president that respects human rights and can bring much needed stability in Nigeria.

Pray that the Church will be a faithful witness for Christ during the elections.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.

Photo: INEC

Pray for Family of Pastor Murdered in Colombia

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Open Doors has learned that a 24-year-old pastor and youth leader has been murdered in Colombia.

On Saturday evening (February 9, 2019), Pastor Leider Molina, 24, was murdered as he was leaving the church where he had just preached a message in the rural community in Caucasia (the country’s northwestern region). He was shot five times.

Known for his passion for preaching the Word of God, the young pastor was a youth leader known for actively serving his community and church. The region where he was killed is also home to Pastor Galarza who was murdered in front of his family last September 2018.

Both pastors murdered in Colombia were known for their commitment to actively work for the betterment of their communities and to not succumb to the threats of criminal groups.

Over the last four months, the Caucasia area has suffered record-high violence, due to the presence of armed groups that dispute the control of drug trafficking routes and the ownership of illicit crops. These groups see the Christian church as an enemy to be eradicated.

Please pray with the family and church of Pastor Molina (he had no wife or children) and the widow and children of Pastor Galarza.

Pray with the church in the Caucasia area and throughout Colombia as they face this ongoing violence. Pray for protection and boldness as they continue to stay in the area and be a light in increasing darkness.

Pray with Open Doors children’s centers in Colombia that minister to young people who have been rescued from paramilitary and criminal groups; or are children of Christians leaders whose families are often targeted.

*Representative names and photos are sometimes used to protect identity.