Persecution Blog

Top 8 in 16: #1

We've been looking back at the most-viewed posts on Persecution Blog in 2016. Today we look back at #1, the most-read post of the year on Persecution Blog. It's a post from September that looks at the nation with the fastest growing church in the world, a nation whose official name starts with "The Islamic Republic of..."

Country With Fastest Growing Church May Surprise You

VOM was featured recently on Mission Network News in a story about the country with the world's fastest growing church. And the location of that church may surprise you: The Islamic Republic of Iran. Here's an excerpt from the story from MNN:

Why is the Iranian Church going through such a growth spurt?

[VOM's Todd] Nettleton shares, “I’ve had Iranian Christians tell me, ‘The greatest missionary in Iran, the greatest evangelist we’ve had in Iran was the Ayatollah Khomeini.’ This is the guy who took power in 1979, he converted Iran to the Islamic Republic [saying], ‘We’re going to run our country according to what Mohammed would have us do, we’re going to run our country according to the Koran.’

“Now here we are thirty-plus years later, and most Iranians have rejected Islam precisely because of that. The country is run by the Mullahs. The government says, ‘We’re doing everything according to Islamic principles.’ So if the government doesn’t work, if there’s still corruption, if there’s still poverty, then that must mean Islam doesn’t work…. That failure has really, in the eyes of the people of Iran, become the failure of Islam.”

According to Nettleton, the Iranian people are going through honest introspection about what they’ve witnessed in their country, and what that means for their lives…and their souls.

“I’ve heard statistics as high as 70 percent of Iranians have rejected Islam. If you ask them in an honest conversation, ‘Do you believe Islam is the truth? Do you believe Islam is the way?’ They would say, ‘No! Of course not!’…. Then the Gospel comes and they say, ‘Wait, this is true. This is right.’ And I think that’s really the root cause of the growth in the Iranian church we see.”

A challenge to American Christians

All of this poses a thoughtful question: how would the American Church respond if we were in a similar situation? How would Western Christians react under restriction and persecution?

Nettleton reflects, “I think the story of the Church in Iran is an incredibly timely message for American Christians. If you think back to 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini takes power, the Mullahs are now in charge of the country. The natural response to that from the Church there would be, ‘Oh no! This is horrible! This is terrible! The Muslims have taken control of the government. What’s going to happen to us now?’ Now thirty years later it’s the fastest growing Church in the world.

“There are many American Christians who look at what’s happening in our country, they look at the presidential elections, they look at the Supreme Court decisions, and they say, ‘Oh no! The government is turning against Christianity, Christian principles are no longer being honored in Washington D.C., what’s going to happen to us?’”

We can take a cue from our Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ.

“The people of Iran would say, ‘Hang on. Serve the Lord, and see what He does. We’re not dependent on the government, we’re dependent on Christ.’”

To be clear, persecution is not something to be sought after for the sake of persecution. Religious freedom is an ideal to be sought after and advocated for.

But when persecution does enter our lives, we can respond as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 4:12b, “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure.”

Therein lies our witness for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therein lies our opportunity to share our eternal hope with others who see us responding to hurt and shame in a way that doesn’t make sense to the world.

Nettleton emphasizes, “Our reliance needs to be on God, not on the protections offered by the Constitution, or the political process, or the U.S. government. Now I’m not saying don’t vote, I’m not saying don’t speak out. But understand that ultimately our reliance is on God.”

Read the full article on Mission Network News' web site. We appreciate our media partners, helping VOM to share the stories of God's faithfulness and the faithfulness of our persecuted family around the world.

Story Looks at Persecution in Eritrea

The Voice of the Martyrs media spokesman Todd Nettleton was recently interviewed by Mission Network News for a story about persecution of Christians in Eritrea:

Eritrea (MNN) — An op-ed piece came out recently asking, “Is Eritrea the ‘North Korea’ of Africa?”

It’s a thought-provoking question. Eritrea is a small nation in the Horn of Africa, with less than 6 million people, blamed for being one of the world’s biggest providers of refugees. The question is: Why are Eritreans fleeing?

It could be due to the struggling economy. It could be because President Isaias Afewerki keeps Eritrea on a permanent war-footing to guard against the potential of Ethiopia trying to re-conquer Eritrea. It could be fear. It could be all of the above.

There are similarities between the reclusive nations, but is it an accurate comparison? Todd Nettleton, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs--USA, doesn’t think so. However, the point might not be accuracy, but context. “Most people in America have no clue where Eritrea is. They couldn’t find it on a map, and they don’t know anything about it. They do, however, know at least a little bit about North Korea and about how closed it is. So, if you say, ‘It’s like North Korea,’ it gives people a frame of reference to say, ‘Wow! It must really be bad for Christians.’”

The United Nations released data that supports what Nettleton is saying. The UN Human Rights Council claims that Eritrean authorities may have committed crimes against humanity. Neighbors and family members are often persuaded to inform on each other; sexual slavery and enforced labor are commonplace; and “systematic, widespread, and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed in Eritrea under the authority of the Government.”

If that’s what it’s like for the “average” citizen, what is it like for religious minorities? Persecution watchdog groups like the Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, and Amnesty International say it’s an untenable situation for Christians. Since they are considered a threat to the state, they are treated like criminals. Add to that a growing sympathy toward Islamic extremism, and things get really rough.

Christians face dreadful conditions in prison: sometimes prison cells are shipping containers in the desert.   Christians face physical torture, hard labor, emotional torture, insufficient food, insufficient hygiene, and insufficient medical care. At least 22 Christians have died while being detained under these conditions.

Any time stories like this get published, strong opposition is expressed, often with accusations of inaccuracy and outright lying. Nettleton responds that in his experience, dissent comes from someone connected to the Eritrean government, someone who is obstructing the results from things like the UN fact-finding missions, or someone who is willfully ignoring what’s going on.

“Anything that you hear or read that says. ‘No, Eritrea is a free nation. Christians are free and can do whatever they want,’ that is factually untrue, and really, laughable, when you understand the situation on the ground: Christians, even at weddings, will be rounded up and arrested; Christians [are] literally disappearing–no charges, no trial.”

Nettleton says the People of the Cross in Eritrea haven’t given up hope. “They understand that this is not an easy place to follow Christ, and yet they are willingly following Christ, continuing to minister, continuing to reach out.”

During his last visit to Eritrea, Nettleton met with the remnant Church–some of whom have been arrested and jailed since he was there. Moved by their sacrifice and commitment to the Gospel, he asked, ‘What can we do to help?’ Their first request was, ‘Pray for us.’”

Praise God for those Eritrean Christians who have managed to escape and share their stories with the West! Pray that their stories will inspire Christians to pray for Eritrea. Ask God to further the Gospel in this very young, African nation.

Please pray for Christians in Eritrea, especially those imprisoned for their faith. You can also listen to a VOM Radio interview with a formerly-imprisoned Eritrean Christian.

Farewell to VOM Media Partner and Friend

Today marks the end of an era for one of our media partners and one of my media friends. After almost 20 years, Mission Network News producer and anchor Greg Yoder is stepping away from the MNN microphone to take on the role of executive director of Keys for Kids Ministries (formerly Children's Bible Hour).

Ruth Kramer and Greg Yoder in the Mission Network News studio.

I didn’t keep records of my media interviews during my first months at VOM. But at the beginning of 1999 I began to jot the date, topic and interviewer for each media interview I did. The first one I have record of is an interview with Mission Network News. The first time Greg’s name shows up in my records was a few months later, on May 7, 1999. We talked about charges being dropped against a Christian in Pakistan—a case VOM followed closely.

I’ve now done more than 2,250 media interviews on behalf of VOM and our persecuted family. I don’t know how many of those were with Mission Network News, but I know it is many. Friends and family often say to me, “I heard you on the radio….”and when I dig into where they heard me or what interview it was, a high percentage of the time it turns out to be a Mission Network News broadcast.

How many stories has Greg told about Christians facing persecution? How many prayers have been offered up by listeners after hearing about a need on MNN, or letters written to Christians in prison or Bibles given to those who need them? I can’t count that high; perhaps in eternity we’ll know.

When I was asked to help start a weekly VOM radio show, one of the first people I called for advice was Greg. When I had pilot episodes ready to share with VOM leaders and some radio friends, he provided multiple pages of feedback, advice and help. And he encouraged me that we could do it, that it was possible. And now we’re doing it every week.

In the 17+ years I’ve been at VOM, Greg has become more than a reporter or another media contact; he’s become a friend. We talk about work, about raising our kids, about running and sore knees. He’s prayed for me and my work, and I’ve prayed for him.

As he steps into a new role of Kingdom service, I know God will bless his efforts. And I know there’s a great team he leaves behind at MNN that will keep helping to tell the stories of our persecuted family.

But I know this too: he will be missed. Thank you, Greg Yoder, for your Kingdom heart, your desire to connect the different parts of the Body of Christ, and your friendship. Well done, my friend.

Todd Nettleton has served the persecuted church and VOM more than 17 years. He has been interviewed more than 2000 times by various media outlets. He's the author of Restricted Nations: North Korea, and served on the writing team for FOXE, Extreme Devotion, Hearts of Fire and other VOM books.

Indonesia: More Religious Freedom?

VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed this week by Mission Network News about possible developments in Indonesia that could be good news for our Christian brothers and sisters. Here is a portion of the resulting story from MNN:

Indonesia (MNN) — The world’s largest Muslim country may be looking at some significant change for religious freedom priorities soon. It’s an about-face from the Yudhoyono administration.

One month into his new presidency, Jokowi Widodo, is living up to his reputation as a reformer by proposing a controversial change. The Voice of the Martyrs-USA spokesman Todd Nettleton explains, “He’s proposing a bill. He says it will come before the Parliament within the next six months to protect religious minorities. That would include Christians. There’s another facet of change that he wants to make which would remove religious identity from the national ID cards that the Indonesia government issues.” Part of the proposed bill would streamline the process for non-Muslims to get permits for places of worship.

Until now, the government recognized six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism. However, Nettleton says the issue wasn’t a religious one so much as a reaction to the political landscape of the time.

The list and ID card designation are kind of an outdated reaction to a political situation Indonesia in 1969. Nettleton says, “That goes back to a previous dictator fighting against Communism, so putting religion on the ID card was a step toward saying, ‘There is a God. Look! All the people of our country are going to say which god they’re following.'”

Nettleton goes on to add, “Really, the time for that is past. If he [President Jokowi Widodo] can present it in a way that is not so much a religious thing as much as ‘we don’t have to worry about a communism takeover anymore,’ maybe it’ll go smoother, but there will be some push-back against this.”

The proposals seem like a fairly minor issue to people not following Indonesia’s politics. However, Nettleton says, “It is a very significant thing, particularly for those who want to change their religion. If your identity card says you’re a Muslim, and you want to become a Christian, you need to go back to that office and say, ‘I’m a Christian now. I want to get a new ID card.’ That is a choke point for persecution.”

When asked about potential impact of this legislation, Nettleton said it was a step in the right direction, but it’s too early to get excited. “At this point, this is somebody saying, ‘This is what we want to do,’ or ‘This is what we’re GOING to do.’ But it hasn’t been done yet. That’s something that we can pray about, that we can be successful in moving this from the idea stage to actually being passed law in Indonesia.” Lawmakers are still working on putting the legal code together, but expect it to be ready for discussion within six months.

Read the rest of the story from MNN.

Nigeria Situation Getting Even Worse?

In my role as VOM’s media spokesperson, I’ve developed working relationships with many members of the media, particularly Christian media staffers who regularly share stories about our persecuted family. We often share information and stories back and forth, and bounce ideas off of each other.

So it wasn’t unusual to have an email from a Mission Network News anchor in my email box this week asking, “Have you heard anything about this?”

I clicked on the link, and almost couldn’t believe what I was reading. In the past two weeks, there have been four female suicide bombers deployed—reportedly by the radical Islamic group, Boko Haram—in Northern Nigeria. Three of them were successful in blowing themselves up. One of them was apprehended before she could explode the vest she was strapped into. She is 10 years old.

It is mind-boggling to me that anyone would willingly serve a god who would ask his followers to strap explosives onto 10 year old girls. But that wasn’t even the most disturbing part of the article.

The most disturbing thing was the speculation—unconfirmed at this point—that some of the suicide bombers may have been girls and young women kidnapped in recent months by Boko Haram, or that Boko Haram is actively training and planning to use kidnapped girls in this way.

The speculation raises so many questions: are the girls being indoctrinated so deeply into radical Islam that they willingly choose to offer their lives in this way? Are they being forced through threats or violence? Are they so distraught at their situation—there are reports of forced conversions and sexual abuse of Boko Haram captives–that they see blowing themselves up as the only means of escape? Do they see death as more desirable than continuing life in captivity?

There are also questions about how Nigeria’s government will respond. There are reports the government knows the general area where the kidnapped Chibok girls are being held, but considers a rescue operation too dangerous. If it is proven that kidnapped girls are being turned into suicide bombers, it demonstrates clearly the depths of evil to which Boko Haram is willing to go, and it may change the safety calculations dramatically. Rescuing kidnapped girls—even if it risks their lives—suddenly takes on new import as it may also save the lives of potential future bombing victims.

It seems that most secular Western media has moved on from the story of the Chibok girls. Perhaps the 15 minutes of fame for #BringBackOurGirls is ticking to an end. But the story is not over; it may be even getting more horrible.

In an earthly sense, we ask what we can do about this terrible tragedy. We can call our congressmen and senators and remind them of the case and tell them that we still care.

But in the spiritual realm there is a powerful weapon all of us can wield: prayer. The thought of kidnapped girls—some of them my Christian sisters—being forced to become human weapons drives me to my knees on their behalf. Lord God: rescue these captives! Give them strength and courage. Protect their hearts and spirits even as their bodies suffer. Give them strong minds and remind them of Your truths.

I invite you to join me in prayer for our sisters and for the entire nation of Nigeria.

The Voice of the Martyrs is providing help to several young women who were previously kidnapped by Boko Haram and later escaped. You can give online to support our work in Nigeria, which includes helping these girls.

Todd Nettleton has served with The Voice of the Martyrs for 16 years. He’s travelled to more than 20 restricted and hostile nations and interviewed hundreds of believers who’ve faced persecution for their Christian witness. As VOM’s principle media spokesperson, Todd has done more than 2,000 interviews with media outlets ranging from Moody Radio to the BBC and Los Angeles Times. He is the principle author of Restricted Nations: North Korea and was part of the writing team for four other VOM books.

MNN: Libya Update

Last week VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed by Mission Network News about the upheaval that is currently rocking Libya, and what it might mean for Christians there. Here is the resulting story:

Libya (MNN) — A failed state is a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a self-determining government.

Somalia comes to mind when using that terminology, and now, another country comes to mind. Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA, says, “You have a very weak government. You have different militant groups that are controlling different parts of the country. There’s fighting between them for power and for control of territory. In that sense, Libya and Somalia look a lot alike.”

What’s happening?

Libya is being torn apart by its deadliest fighting since the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. His removal created a power vacuum, and without a democratically-elected government to replace the dictator, pushed the country to the brink of becoming a “failed state,” explains Nettleton. “What is happening is a huge power struggle between different militant groups, militia groups inside Libya. The fighting is ongoing. It has now forced the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy as well as some other Western embassies.” Newly-elected lawmakers struggled to find a safe location for their first sitting of the House of Representatives, held on 28 July.

He says a big difference between Somalia and Libya are the resources. However, violence in the oil-rich country threatens to destabilize the region. “We’re looking at a situation where nobody is really in control, and there are a lot of people who are fighting for control or for power. It’s running down into becoming a war zone.” Of the militias filling the void, only some have Islamist ideologies, adds Nettleton. “The good news is: right now the different groups are focusing more on each other and trying to gain control of the country. They’re not focused specifically on persecuting Christians or persecuting minority groups or stopping evangelism from happening.”

Persecution of the Church

This is one of the most difficult North African countries in which to be a Christian, notes Open Doors. In an absence of the rule of law, violence against Christians has increased. Nettleton observes, “One of the impacts is simply that a lot of the Gospel workers from outside the country have had to leave or will have to leave if this instability and violence continues.” Among Libyan believers, he says, “Just living becomes a challenge, let alone the issue of ‘how are we to reach out to our neighbors?’ Or, ‘How am I going to share the gospel with my Muslim friends/my Muslim family?’”

Most Christians are afraid to meet with other believers, as any kind of non-Islamic religious gathering for Libyans is forbidden. Ex-pats can have their own churches, but Libyans are not allowed to attend.

Nettleton urges you to stand with the remnant Church in Libya. “Pray for the protection of the believers there, that God would sustain them, that He would protect them and watch over them. Pray for opportunities to witness because there is upheaval, there is violence. That can be an opportunity to say, ‘Let’s talk about eternity.’”

US Government Leaves Religious Freedom Post Empty

VOM's Todd Nettleton was interviewed last week by Mission Network News for a story about Christian persecution hearings held in Washington DC and especially about the currently-vacant post within the U.S. State Department of "Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom."

Here is a portion of the resulting article:

International (MNN) — Of all the Christian persecution stories covered in the 21st century, the one singled out for focus in Washington, D.C. was the 2008 pogrom in India’s Orissa State.

At a hearing before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, John L. Allen, Jr., author of “The Global War on Christians,” pointed out these events occur in countries where Christianity is expanding but religious freedom is lacking. Allen also used his time to challenge U.S. President Barack Obama to quickly fill the post of  ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

One question that came up was why the Orissa pogrom was chosen as the incident to focus on at the hearing, especially when compared to the attacks of the Joseph Colony in Pakistan, the Egypt Muslim Brotherhood attacks, and the Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria. Todd Nettleton, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs USA, answered, “I think the focus went in that direction because of the nature of the attacks, because of the violence of the attacks, and the number of people who were affected. Not only killed, more than 100 people lost their lives; but literally thousands of people were displaced by these attacks. Some of them are still displaced and it’s six years later.”

When the other countries in question were pointed out as comparable, Nettleton added, “The other thing that I think brings a focus to it is the lack of action by the  Indian government to hold the perpetrators accountable.”

Though the Orissa government claims it took strict action against the accused, their reports show that of the hundreds of charges brought, just 75 cases ended in convictions. There were an additional 477 people convicted for lesser offenses connected to property damage, but little else has been done to recompense the 50,000 left homeless after the 2008 attacks.

That brings us to the remarks made by Elliott Abrams, a commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), who told the subcommittee that the lack of an ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom sends the wrong message about the U.S. stance on religious freedom. Nettleton explains, “I think the message sent by this administration has been that this is not a high priority: ‘There are other things that we are more interested in,’ and that tone has really carried through.”

Following the abrupt departure by Susanne Johnson-Cook in October, the Obama administration did not set a timeline to replace her. The post has only been filled for 30 months of the Obama Administration, which seems to reinforce the true priorities of the Administration. Nettleton says, “The fact that this International Religious Freedom post has been vacant so much of the Obama administration says those words are nice, but the actions really haven’t matched up to that. We haven’t seen that commitment in terms of the day-to-day hard work that it takes to influence other countries, to provide more freedom for our Christian brothers and sisters.”

You can read the full article here.

Photo credit: Todd Nettleton

Do Americans Care About Persecuted Christians?

VOM’s Todd Nettleton was interviewed last week by Mission Network News about the question of why more attention isn’t paid—in the media and in American churches—to the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters. Here’s the resulting story from MNN:

International (MNN) — The Church is under fire. At that sentence, half the people who started reading this article just moved on to something more interesting.

However, that response is troublesome. The plight of believers gets little attention on the global stage, leaving many Christians throughout North America unaware, and therefore, indifferent to what’s going on in the body of Christ.

Mention persecution, and eyes glaze over. Silence continues because not enough church leaders are talking about it from the pulpit. Despite Barna Research stating the opposite, there’s a movement in North America where church leaders and pastors say their flocks don’t want to hear such negative and depressing things.

That’s despite the following:

Al Qaeda vows to slaughter Christians after the U.S. ‘liberates’ Syria. Nigeria’s Boko Haram has slaughtered 3,000 Christians since they began waging war. Egypt’s Coptic Church is under fire. A Church official there says after the recent violence that destroyed over 72 churches, there are just 57 Christian churches in the entire country, down from more than 300 as recently as 2003. The Barnabas Fund, a ministry to the persecuted Church, is airlifting Christians out of Sudan. So far, they’ve evacuated more than 5,000 Christians from northern Sudan. In Pakistan, believers are still trying to put their lives back together after 3,000 angry Muslims torched the Joseph Colony six months ago. That’s only part of the Middle East and North Africa. Asia is also on the list. North Korea is trying to erase Christians, and has been atop the Open Doors World Watch List for 11 years as the world’s worst persecutor of Christians. There’s ‘religicide’ going on in Burma, and in parts of India.

And still, there’s relative silence from North America. There are a few who have been speaking out as loudly as they can, but the overall impassive response to the worldwide persecuted church begs the question: do we care? Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “I think the question arises because we look around the world. we see more than 60 countries where Christians face some form of harassment or persecution, and you look at the average response of the average American Christian which is basically, ‘Man, that’s too bad.’”

A defensive response is also common. But here too, Nettleton asks, “If we care, how is that being lived out? How are we SHOWING that we care? Not based on clicking the ‘like’ button on a Facebook page, but how are we showing that we care in action that is designed to produce a result or some easing if the suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters?” He goes on to explain, “How we show we care is by being involved, by connecting with these Christians who are suffering. The first line of doing that really is knowing them: knowing their names, knowing their situations, knowing the countries that they live in so that we can pray effectively.”

Nettleton is also quick to note that the issue has gotten more traction as awareness of social justice issues has risen. “More people know about the persecuted church now than did 15 or 20 years ago. I think the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which is coming up in November, has been a significant part of making the American church aware of what’s happening with persecuted Christians.”

But there’s still a long way to go, he concedes. “One of the challenges is Americans are pretty home-focused. Our media covers things that are happening in America. In a 30-minute news program, we might get two minutes of what’s going on around the world.”

Another aspect is understanding the spiritual and biblical component of persecution. “These are not just statistics or people who live 10-thousand miles from here. This is our family. These are our brothers and sisters.” He points out his own two brothers. If they were to be arrested and face the scenarios faced by Christians in Eritrea, for example, he would be making noise about their plight. The same should be true of the body of Christ. “I should be aware of what’s happening with them, and when they’re being persecuted and oppressed, I should be speaking out on their behalf. I should be letting people know that it is happening and doing whatever I can within my power to make it stop happening.”

When believers put real faces, names and places to the stories, the bigger picture becomes clearer. Nettleton explains, “It’s not presented as ‘this is what the Bible said was going to happen. This is what Jesus said ‘if you follow me, the world will hate you’. This is happening all around the world. Followers of Christ are being hated because they’re followers of Jesus Christ.”

Sometimes Americans avoid the discussion of the persecuted church because the news is discouraging. It’s hard to hear and yet feel helpless about changing anything. However, Nettleton breaks response down to its most simple elements. “You start by praying. you educate yourself, an then, whatever God lays on your heart as a response, you keep saying ‘yes’ to that and keep responding to that. You will find that you will enter into the ‘fellowship of suffering’.”

The what? Nettleton explains that when people invest in taking on the troubles facing believers worldwide, they begin to understand the God who provokes such a response. As a result, “The persecuted church is strengthened because we can encourage them, we can stand with them, and we can be a voice for them. But we’re strengthened as well because we see their faithfulness, and we see God’s faithfulness to them. And our faith is encouraged and challenged, and we find that we grow spiritually, as well.”

You can start your journey by clicking here.

YOUR TURN: Do you think the issue of Christian persecution is given adequate attention in American media? What about in American churches? What can Christians do to help make sure the persecution faced by our brothers and sisters in hostile and restricted nations is known? Continue the discussion in the comments below.

Pray for North Korea

VOM’s Todd Nettleton was interviewed Friday by a reporter from Mission Network News about the current situation in North Korea. Here is the resulting story:

North Korea (VOM/MNN) ― North Korea is setting a megaphone in front of the saber it's rattling.

On Friday, the North Korean government said it would not be able to guarantee the safety of embassies after April 10, and suggested that Russia, China, and Great Britain consider evacuating their diplomats.

Tensions have been on the rise since the United Nations imposed harsher sanctions following Pyongyang's third nuclear test on Feb. 12. The rogue state expressed fury over ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises and threatened a nuclear strike against the U.S. It also scrapped the Korean War armistice, began moving missiles, and restarted a plutonium reactor capable of producing more fuel for nuclear bombs.

One concern is that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, has something to prove. He's still tightening his grip on power and is something of a military unknown.

While the situation appears to be serious, governments are playing down the rhetoric from North Korea, assuming it represents yet another tantrum by a regime starving for attention, legitimacy, and economic aid. Spokesman for the Voice of the Martyrs USA Todd Nettleton describes the typical pattern. "The world community makes some concessions. They deliver some food or they lower the sanctions or they deliver some oil, and the crisis magically goes away until the next time North Korea needs something."

Nettleton connected on Friday with VOM contacts working with North Korean Christians. According to them, "When North Korea needs something, when they need concessions, they create a crisis. They do a lot of saber rattling and a lot of press release about how terrible it's going to be for all the aggressors against them."

The situation is still fairly rhetorical. Nettleton says they're taking their cues from their national partners, some of whom are North Korean defectors. He goes on to say that because the poverty and hunger situation is desperate, it's unlikely the threats are little more than talk. He explains, "The surrounding nations are comfortable with the status quo. Maybe at times it's a little irritating, but it is seen as a better alternative than to see the regime fall and North Korea fall into complete chaos with those surrounding nations left to clean up the mess."

North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world. Christians are tortured, imprisoned, and murdered. Private, non-state-sanctioned religious activity is prohibited. Anyone discovered engaging in clandestine religious activity is subject to arrest, torture, or even public execution.

As many as 100,000 believers are thought to worship secretly. Possessing a Bible, saying the words God or Jesus, and meeting together are all offences punishable by death. VOM reports estimate that of the hundreds of thousands incarcerated in labor and concentration camps, about 30,000 are Christians.

Yet there are still requests for help. VOM supports Gospel radio broadcasts into North Korea and participates in balloon launches that carry the hope of Christ into the country. "Pray that North Korean Christians will remain faithful, that they will remain encouraged. The other thing we can pray is for the delivery of Gospel materials, for the these balloons, for these radio broadcasts, for other Gospel work that is going on into North Korea, that the Gospel message will get in there, that it will be received, and that there will be fruit."

Learn more about the history of the church and persecution in North Korea by reading VOM's book, Restricted Nations: North Korea. Order your copy online.

2012: Boko Haram's Bloodiest Year

If there has been one nation on my heart this year, it is Nigeria because of the intense persecution of Christians by Boko Haram.  We even saw the Jubilee Campaign petition President Obama with the hopes of getting enough people aware of the terrorism of Boko Haram so that the United States State Department would defund Boko Haram.  Sadly, that hasn't happened yet.

The following is from Mission Network News:

Nigeria (MNN) ― Boko Haram, a Nigerian militant Islamist group, had their bloodiest year in 2012, responsible for over 750 deaths.

General Aziza, Nigeria’s former national security advisor, says the upscale in Boko Haram’s terrorist attacks may be linked with the upcoming 2015 Nigerian presidential elections.

When President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, was elected president of Nigeria in 2011, a series of Boko Haram killings followed. Boko Haram made threats on the president to resign or else turn Nigeria into an Islamic nation.

Rae Burnett, the Africa Director for Christian Aid Mission, explains, “I do believe that it’s spiritual warfare, but it’s definitely the desire to see that Islam is the world religion. They start where they are, and these guys are Nigerian, so they want to be empowered in Nigeria.”

Several of the Muslim-majority Northern states began declaring themselves under Sharia law after the 2011 elections. Of the 32 Nigerian states, 12 currently are govern by Islamic Sharia law. 2015 will be Muslims’ next chance to gain power in Nigeria’s political arena.

However, Boko Haram grew quiet on the large-scale attack front earlier this month. The fact that Christmas was approaching—the biggest Christian holiday of the year—wasn’t lost on anyone and created an eerie silence. Attacks were expected, especially since Boko Haram has declared intent to eradicate Christians from Nigeria.

And Boko Haram militants have the means to back up this desire. With ties to Al-Qaeda and funding for weapons, they fight in pockets and avoid any clashes with the Nigerian military. They’ve gotten bolder. According to Burnett, “They do whatever is in front of them. If it’s a school bus, they’ll blow it up. If it’s a school, they’ll blow it up. They’re trying to make people afraid.”

Because of the disjointed nature of Boko Haram’s fighting tactics, several smaller attacks still occur weekly in Northern Nigeria, but they are largely unreported.

Burnett shares, “Once, I read [about another attack] and called my friend [in Nigeria] and said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about this?’ He said, ‘Look, if I tell you about every terrorist attack, we would be on the phone all the time.’ They’ve become so common place that they are happening every day. We don’t hear about them.”

The attacks have gotten so bad in the state where Christian Aid’s headquarters are located that they need to move to a safer site. But Christian Aid can’t do it without the funds. Out of the $40,000 needed, they only have $10,000—enough to buy the land and lay a foundation. Christian Aid still needs $30,000 to finish the headquarter buildings and residences.

“They really need to move from the state where they are now,” says Burnett. “Two and three times a week, they are suffering terrorist attacks.”

But despite the danger, the 120 missionaries in Nigeria associated with Christian Aid are staying in the ministry field. “They are committed to making the Lord known and dying for Him if need be,” says Burnett. “They’re doing wonderful work, and many people are coming to Christ.”

Pray for Christians in Nigeria to persevere and hold fast to their hope in the Lord. Pray for many others in Nigeria to come to know Christ and for church leaders to advance their ministry.

 

Source: Mission Network News

 

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