The Rev. Makarious Bolous of the Mar Gerges Church in Aswan was sentenced on Sunday (March 4), but neither the imams who called for the attack nor the Muslim villagers who destroyed the church building last September have been charged with any crime.

Iranian authorities continue to raid worship meetings and arrest Christians in a systematic series of arrests that began two months ago. Authorities launched the operation in hope of countering the growth of Christianity and stamping out the house church movement. Those arrested are rarely given a reason for their arrest. Their personal property is seized, and they are often transferred to unknown locations without notification of family.

For the last few weeks we've been asking you to help us reach 5000 letters for Gao Zhisheng who is in prison for his faith in Jesus Christ and defending Christians. Gao has been tortured for his faith and his case is well known internationally. For background on Gao, please visit www.freegao.com

At the end of last week The Voice of the Martyrs produced episode 105 of our Persecution Podcast. In this special episode of the podcast you'll hear Michael Wurmbrand, who is the son of Richard Wurmbrand, the Founder of The Voice of the Martyrs, share about his time living in Romania. This is an inspiring account that you will want to hear. David also shares the prayer requests for China, Israel and Indonesia. Click here to read the prayer requests and please click here to listen to the podcast. You will be encouraged!

ISTANBUL, March 5 (CDN) — Tensions remain high in an Egyptian village where as many as 5,000 mostly Salafi Muslims went on a rampage over a false rumor that a church was holding a girl against her will in order to convert her back to Christianity. Dismissing media reports of 20,000 rioting Muslims, sources told Compass that between 2,000 and 5,000 hard-line Muslims, most of them from the Salafi movement, last month harassed Christian villagers in Meet Bahsar in the Nile Delta, attacked a church building in a misguided effort to “save” the girl, damaged a priest’s house and then destroyed his car. The 14-year-old girl’s father, an ethnic Copt who converted to Islam, had stirred them up on the mistaken notions that his daughter had converted to Islam and that Christians had kidnapped her, the church priest told Compass. Full story here.

International (MNN) ? There has been a perceived bias against Christians in the media in the western world, but now it's more than perceived. According to the Christian Institute in the United Kingdom, the head of the BBC, Mark Thompson, says the company would never mock Mohammed like it mocks Jesus.

Witnesses falsely testified against him. “We heard him cursing Moses and God. This man talks nonstop against God’s law. We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the customs Moses gave us.”

Recently we shared with our Be-A-Voice Network a new prayer bulletin that highlights a Christian poet that has been detained in Turkmenistan. If you're not familar with The Voice of the Martrys Be-A-Voice Network, please click here to learn more. Currently we have a membership of 9580 people who are committed to praying and acting on behalf of persecuted Christians. I invite you to join today.