Persecution Blog

New from The Voice of the Martyrs: Free Open Classroom & $5 Classes

Last year, you may recall that The Voice of the Martyrs launched our wonderful Persecution Workshop classes that are designed to educate, encourage and equip Christians with an understanding of what is happening with Christians worldwide.

Today, I am happy to share with you that The Voice of the Martyrs is launching a new series of classes that are taught by Professor Daniel Scot, a Pakistani mathematics professor and an expert on the differences between Islam and Christianity.  Professor Scot has had his own faith tested when he was tried under the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan and also when he moved to Australia and was taken to court for his teaching about the Qur'an.

The cool thing is that Professor Scot's first class will be in the Open Classroom format and then the following four classes he's going to teach will be on a donation basis (he is suggesting $5 per class, which is affordable for most of us!).

And it gets better because before the cost of the Persecution Workshops hindered some people from taking them, and now other classes on a variety of topics (like Intercessory Prayer, Biblical Studies in Persecution and Suffering, Theological Issues related to Persecution, etc.) will be put up as we have them done and they will be on a free access basis.

We are happy to offer these classes are for your use. The only thing to remember is that you cannot sell the material. Our mission is to educate the church about the reality of persecution and to discuss in an intelligent manner the issues related to persecution and suffering for righteousness’ sake. You may copy the material for your personal use or for use in the church or classroom. It would be nice if you would give credit to VOM for the material.

Are you excited?  I am - join me and visit www.vomclassroom.com and sign up today!  You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!!

Share this with your friends and learn about the persecuted church, Islam and more.  You'll be glad you joined.

 

Laos: Rewarded Faith

Eleven orphans in Laos who were threatened with expulsion from a government school because of their Christian faith have continued to attend church. They slip away one by one on Sunday mornings and walk to church unnoticed.

In August, the boys’ headmaster called them into his office and told them to stop attending church. Initially, seven of the boys stopped attending, but four of the boys refused to obey the headmaster despite the possibility that they could be expelled from the government-sponsored school. After seeing the faithfulness of these four boys, the other seven eventually decided to continue going to church as well.

School officials haven’t said anything to the boys in recent months, and those caring for the orphans think officials may have given up after seeing the strength of the boys’ faith. While school officials seem to be looking the other way, the boys are still careful to leave school one at a time to attend church. If they leave together, they will be stopped.

The threats from school officials began after one of the boys attended a local church and came to trust in Christ. He shared the gospel with others, and 10 other boys turned to Christ. When the principal heard of the conversions, he told the boys repeatedly to stop attending church. After pressuring them with no results, the principal threatened to expel them.

Please continue to pray for these brave young believers. They are safe, but their situation could change at any moment. Also pray for God’s direction as they make plans for life after graduation.

Sources: VOM contacts

They Sang Over the Screams of Their Attackers

It was like no protest the world had ever seen. Most riots around the world are violent, with slogans being yelled, signs and banners being waved, and even rocks being thrown. But on May 16, 1966, five hundred Soviet Baptists gathered in the courtyard of the Communist Central Committee. However, unlike most protestors, they did not shout slogans or demands.

    They stood together praying and singing hymns. Georgi Vins and Gennadi Kryuchkov presented a petition to the Soviet government on their behalf, requesting the official recognition of their churches, a plea to stop governmental interferences, the release of imprisoned believers, and freedom for Soviet citizens to teach and be taught religious faith.
    

    On the morning of the seventeenth, soldiers and KGB agents surrounded the peaceful gathering. Around 1:00 P.M., a number of buses closed in and the soldiers attacked, beating them and forcing them into the buses. No one fought back. Instead, the demonstrators linked arms and started singing again over the screams of the attacking soldiers. All of this was done in public with many bystanders gathering around to watch the steadfast faith of the Christians. They were then taken to prison.
    

    Even in prison they continued to pray and sing. The Communists had refused the pleas of these peaceful protestors, but they had not broken their spirits.

People who turn Christianity into a cause run the risk of confusing violence for obedience. However, nothing could be further from the true description. Radical obedience means we protest whatever is contrary to Christ’s teachings. However, like the Soviet Baptists, we aim for peace and not to provoke harm. Those who are persecuted for their faith leave an example of peaceful demonstration and determination. They do not return evil for evil, yet they calmly accept the consequences of their obedience to Christ’s commands. If you want to be a radical Christian, you must fully obey Christ’s commands. In what area of your life is God calling you to radical obedience for him? What does it mean to you to be a radical Christian?

*Thank you for reading this excerpt from Extreme Devotion.  Extreme Devotion makes a wonderful gift for a friend or loved one. Click here to support The Voice of the Martyrs by buying a copy.

Nigeria: Religious Civil War?

Yet another Islamist attack on a church and a violent reaction Christian youth provide more evidence that Nigeria is closer than ever to sliding into a religious civil war. Thus far, authorities have been unable to stem the tide of violence, and in some cases, officials themselves are biased by their religious persuasions. Nigerian Christians are split between wanting to fight back and trying to follow Jesus’ teaching to turn the other cheek.

On Sunday, March 11, suicide bombers approached St. Finbar’s Catholic Church by car during the 10:30 a.m. service before they were stopped by several youths on security detail. A wary policeman shot out the car tires and the bombers were forced to detonate their bomb early, killing at least nine church members.

Muslim extremist sect Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the bombing, telling reporters it was to avenge the killing and dehumanization of Muslims. “We attacked simply because it’s a church, and we can decide to attack any other church,” spokesman Abu Qaqa told United Press International (UPI). “We have just started.” The group also claimed responsibility for a bombing two weeks earlier at a major Protestant church in Jos, as well as multiple bombings around the region on Christmas Day.

Afterwards, authorities told multiple news sources that in response hundreds of angry Christian youths burned homes and killed at least 10 people. But a VOM worker says the deaths could have at the hands of soldiers, rather than protesters.

A few hours after the blast, the VOM worker headed to the scene to help. On the way, he met Christian youths who erected roadblocks and were checking passing cars for bomb materials, weapons or anything harmful. One of the young men told him that Muslim authorities had taken advantage of the aftermath. He said they killed over 50 protesting youth and took their bodies, claiming they were Muslims killed by Christians.

At the scene of the explosion, the VOM worker saw bullet holes in the cars, trees and buildings affected by the blast, but none of 100-plus parishioners there had a gun. He wondered who would be shooting at the victims of a suicide bombing. Later at the hospital, the VOM worker saw several Christians with gunshot wounds.

“At the moment, in Jos, suicide bombings are always aided and supported by Nigerian armies who are loyalist to the Muslim jihad movement in Nigeria,” a VOM worker said. “The Special Task Force commander in Jos is a Muslim, and since he came in the last month, the city has not known peace.”

The series of attacks are fueling an already simmering sentiment that it is time for Nigerian Christians to fight back against their Muslim neighbors, who are seemingly given free passes to commit violence against them. “We are tired of turning the other cheek,” one Nigerian Christian explained in 2010. But others still call for a peaceful response.

Ignatius Kaigama, archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jos, appealed for calm, saying, “We have a faith that preaches the respect of the sanctity of the human life. We have a faith and have the ability to reason. So, we must not behave like those who believe they are serving god by killing others.”

How Nigerian believers respond remains to be seen. “Christians indeed are aggrieved seeing their loved ones killed every day for just being Christians,” said the VOM worker.

Sources: VOM contacts, United Press International, Compass Direct News

Episode 108: Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, and Afghanistan

Just in time for your weekend, we have a short Persecution Podcast that will equip you with the latest information you can bring to your friends and church members to pray for.  Click here to listen to the show.

Pakistan
An Arabic-language teacher at a government school in Pakistan has been meeting with a VOM-supported pastor to learn more about Christianity. The encounters began after the teacher learned that one of his students was a Christian. “I’ve never met a Christian in my life,” he told the young man. “How do you Christians pray?” The student invited him to speak with his pastor. At first the discussions were difficult because the teacher didn’t feel he could speak openly. But last month, the pastor visited the teacher’s school and brought pencils and notebooks for the students. That day, the pastor and the teacher spoke for two hours, and the teacher requested a Bible so he could look up some of the verses the pastor cited. The Pakistani teacher suggested they discuss the topic of whether Jesus is the Son of God the next time they meet. The pastor asks for our prayers. “Please pray for me, when I have this meeting, that God will protect me and the Holy Spirit will guide me and save the soul of [this teacher], so he can accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior.”

Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani authorities are suing the Greater Grace Church in Baku, in what is thought to be the first attempt to close a religious community under the nation’s religion jaw. The 2009 law requires that all religious groups re-register with the government. If the state committee suing Greater Grace Church succeeds, the church will lose its right to exist. Greater Grace, which first registered with the government in 1993, says it was unaware that it needed to re-register and that authorities gave no warning before filing the liquidation suit against them. In the past, authorities have acted secretly to shut down churches, but it now appears they will operate openly, with the backing of the law. Several hundred churches waiting for official registration fear that if Greater Grace is closed, many others will be closed as well. The first hearing was held on Thursday, March 15, and court proceedings are expected to resume on March 29.

Nigeria
At least nine Christians were killed in Jos, Nigeria, on March 11 in the second church bombing within two weeks. In this most recent attack, Boko Haram terrorists targeted the 3,000-member St. Finbar’s Catholic Church, in an affluent Jos neighborhood. Security personnel forced the attackers to detonate their bomb before their car reached the sanctuary. Among the victims were two women in their 50s and two boys, aged 8 and 16. Reprisal attacks by Christians reportedly occurred after the bombing, and witnesses reported additional deaths of Christians at the hands of military personnel. The husband of one victim told Compass Direct, “What is happening in Nigeria today is a war against the Church. We need to fight back spiritually, as this is the only way we as Christians can survive it.”

Additionally…

Afghanistan
Pray for Christian workers who are discipling new believers and distributing Christian literature.

 

VOM-USA Prayer Update for March 23, 2012

Thank you for praying for this weeks prayer requests.

Pakistan--Pastor Discusses Christianity with Pakistani Teacher
VOM Contacts

Mark 5:36

An Arabic-language teacher at a government school in Pakistan has been meeting with a VOM-supported pastor to learn more about Christianity. The encounters began after the teacher learned that one of his students was a Christian. "I've never met a Christian in my life," he told the young man. "How do you Christians pray?" The student invited him to speak with his pastor. At first the discussions were difficult because the teacher didn't feel he could speak openly. But last month, the pastor visited the teacher's school and brought pencils and notebooks for the students. That day, the pastor and the teacher spoke for two hours, and the teacher requested a Bible so he could look up some of the verses the pastor cited. The Pakistani teacher suggested they discuss the topic of whether Jesus is the Son of God the next time they meet. The pastor asks for our prayers. "Please pray for me, when I have this meeting, that God will protect me and the Holy Spirit will guide me and save the soul of [this teacher], so he can accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior."

Azerbaijan--Church Sued Under Religion Law
Forum 18 News

Matthew 22:20-22

Azerbaijani authorities are suing the Greater Grace Church in Baku, in what is thought to be the first attempt to close a religious community under the nation's religion jaw. The 2009 law requires that all religious groups re-register with the government. If the state committee suing Greater Grace Church succeeds, the church will lose its right to exist. Greater Grace, which first registered with the government in 1993, says it was unaware that it needed to re-register and that authorities gave no warning before filing the liquidation suit against them. In the past, authorities have acted secretly to shut down churches, but it now appears they will operate openly, with the backing of the law. Several hundred churches waiting for official registration fear that if Greater Grace is closed, many others will be closed as well. The first hearing was held on Thursday, March 15, and court proceedings are expected to resume on March 29.

Nigeria--Church Bombings Continue
Compass Direct News, VOM Contacts

Ephesians 6:13

At least nine Christians were killed in Jos, Nigeria, on March 11 in the second church bombing within two weeks. In this most recent attack, Boko Haram terrorists targeted the 3,000-member St. Finbar's Catholic Church, in an affluent Jos neighborhood. Security personnel forced the attackers to detonate their bomb before their car reached the sanctuary. Among the victims were two women in their 50s and two boys, aged 8 and 16. Reprisal attacks by Christians reportedly occurred after the bombing, and witnesses reported additional deaths of Christians at the hands of military personnel. The husband of one victim told Compass Direct, "What is happening in Nigeria today is a war against the Church. We need to fight back spiritually, as this is the only way we as Christians can survive it."

Afghanistan
VOM Project

Pray for Christian workers who are discipling new believers and distributing Christian literature.

Persecution Blog Week in Review - March 23, 2012

Today I thought that I would give you a recap of the stories we shared with you this week, just in case you missed something.   We have so much to pray for and rejoice in the Lord over.  Please share this with your friends and family who care about the persecution of Christians around the world.

Monday we always start the week out by sharing a devotion from the wonderful book Extreme Devotion.  This week we shared the story The School of Jesus Christ which is about how a girl went on trial for being a Christian and would not deny her Jesus.  We also shared Palestine: Church Disapproved by PA which reveals the persecution happening at Pastor Khoury's church.  Finally, we shared about the controversy that has taken place concerning the Voice of the Martyrs Kids of Courage VBS materials that aim to teach children about the persecuted church, in an age appropriate way.

Tuesday  we always like to encourage you to write a letter to one of our persecuted prisoners that are highlighted on the Prisoner Alert page, so we highlighted again, Pastor Youcef and have challenged readers to help us double our efforts and write 12,000 letters to Pastor Youcef.

We also highlighted a video report from CBN News that shares that Turkey is now among the world's top persecutors of Christians.  And we highlighted another story from Compass Direct, about a brave young Christian woman, who was beaten unconscious by her parents and Islamic terrorists who want her to deny Jesus.

Wednesday  we shared with you that we are still in need of supporters with our Bibles Unbound program.  We have over 50,000 people waiting for bibles that need to be sponsored.  Please help.

We also shared a story about the persecution happening in Uzbekistan and a story from China Aid where at least 70 Christians were detained.

Thursday we shared with you the heartbreaking story of the parents whose daughter was missing in Nigeria, as well as an update from our Be-A-Voice-Network on Christians who are under repeated attacks, and an update on the persecuted church in Morocco.

Please take some time today to pray over all of these news items and thank you for reading our blog and for caring about the needs of Christians worldwide.  I pray the Lord blesses you, as you remember that we are bound with them!

Parents Torn over Loss of Daughter in Nigeria

Imagine with me for a moment that you're a parent and your daughter ends up missing.  This is your flesh and blood, kin, your future.  Like most parents you've dreamed of seeing her have children and watching your grandchildren grow up, as you rest and retire in to your older years.

Now imagine that your daughter is not only missing, but that after seven months of not knowing where your daughter is, you receive a phone call that tells you that your daughter is dead.  How would you feel?  Would you believe it or hold out hope?  Would you collapse in despair because your heart was broken in a zillion pieces and it was just the confirmation you needed?

Now add to your grief, worry and loss the fact that the body of your daughter has never been found.  Do you believe she's dead or still hope for the best?

I'm not sure about you, but I can't even remotely begin to imagine the emotional wreck I would be and how I would go on.  I'd be crushed beyond measure.

Sadly, the scenario I've just described has happened to  Helen and Dakim Gyang Bot, who are the parents of their 24 year old daughter, Simi Maltida Kim.

Here's more of the story as described by Compass Direct:

The Bots live in an undisclosed town near Jos, in Plateau state, but their daughter was a final-year student of Science Laboratory Technology at the Federal Polytechnic, in northeastern Nigeria’s Bauchi state. She had told them of an instructor there who humiliated her because of her Christian faith, they said.

“She told us that this Muslim teacher would summon her and then question her faith, or even bring in some Muslim students to confront her over her Christian faith,” said her mother, Helen Bot. “When she told us this, we advised her to keep away from the Muslim teacher as much as possible.”

The problem came to a head when the instructor failed her on a written exam without even looking at it, she said.
 
“This Muslim teacher did this to force our daughter into submitting to recanting her Christian faith, but this did not deter her from remaining firm as a Christian,” Helen Bot said.

Kim retook the exam. Right after turning it in, again the Muslim teacher took her answer sheet and followed her out of the examination hall, telling her that he would never allow her to pass his course.

You may read the full story here.  Please call out to the Lord for grace, mercy and peace for this family.  Pray also for God's comfort for them.  Please share this story with your praying friends also, because it's so important.  Christians in Nigeria are paying a high price for their faith and trust in Christ.  They need you to pray.  Please pray right now. 

Moroccan Church Faces Difficulty

One of the nations in our Restricted Nations page is Morocco.  Morocco is 99.9 percent Muslim and has a tiny Christian population of about a tenth of a percent.

As a result, it's not surprise that Christians are at risk and are persecuted for their faith in Jesus.  You can click here to see numerous previous reports about the persecution that has taken place there.

Mission Network News is reporting on the lastest with our brothers and sisters in that country.  Here's some of their report:

Morocco (MNN) ― Two years ago, many foreign Christians were expelled from Morocco. It changed the face of the Moroccan church. The Christians, for example, now meet in smaller groups than they were used to. Twenty members are a big church nowadays.

2010 was a difficult year for the church in Morocco. "After the foreigners were expelled, almost half of the churches stopped; it was really a big crackdown" says an Open Doors worker responsible for North Africa. A year later, things turned normal again for the estimated 3,000 Christians, but the tendency is to split up the groups of believers into smaller groups.

The current year is seen as a crucial year for the church. There are some signs that things might become more difficult. In the beginning of March, three brothers were arrested at a coffee shop. "It was clear that they were arrested because of their Christian activity. The police asked questions about this and tried to find Christian literature or material." According to the Open Doors spokesman, they also tried to find the pastor of the three men. He was warned, however, and went to a safe place. The three men were released a day after their arrest because of lack of proof.

"For the Christians in Morocco, these arrests are a sign. The country is now governed by a government with clear influence of Islamists. Christians believe that the arrests are the start of a new trend," says the Open Doors worker.

Please read the full story here.    Will you also add Morocco to your prayer list and keep the Christians in your prayers regularily. 

Be A Voice Network Prayer Bulletin: Repeated Attacks

One of The Voice of the Martyrs most active and impacting programs is the Be-A-Voice-Network.  We've shared with you before how easy it is to become a  member and then get involved, but in case you're new to our blog, I wanted to share with you again today how easy it is to "be a voice" for the persecuted church.

First, let me invite  you to visit our main Be-A-Voice-Network page. Once you're on the page, on the right hand side, you'll see a box that says Take Action, Join Now which looks like this....

After you join the network you'll be able to log in and see all of the prayer bulletins and different opportunties available....including fellowship.

Our latest bulletin is titled Repeated Attacks.  Here's a description:

For months, local authorities in the city of Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, have targeted members of a house church belonging to the China for Christ denomination. Church members have been illegally detained, interrogated and sent to labor camps simply for attending worship services or other church activities, according to China Aid Association.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PRAYER BULLETIN.

Please also consider sharing about the Be-A-Voice-Network opportunities with your friends.  It's very easy to explain the program because all you have to do is have a heart to pray for the persecuted church, take action writing some letters and share with your friends.  We even have available copies of Richard Wurmbrand's book Tortured for Christ that you can give to your friends.