Libya: Prayer Answered

In Islamic countries, converting to Christianity can carry severe penalties. Around three months ago, four believers in Libya were imprisoned because of converting from Islam. In a wonderful answer to prayer, they were recently released from prison. What a reminder to be thankful that the LORD our God cares for every land on earth, that his eyes see everything, that his ears are attentive to our prayers, and that his hand is mighty to save.

Pakistan

On Monday the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, signed a bill regarding Swat Valley and surrounding areas which puts this north-western area of Pakistan under Islamic law. This constitutes a concession to the Taliban and bad news for Christians in the region since the Taliban openly acknowledge that the penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity is death. Please pray for this situation, that Christians would be bold, even to death, and that before long the Taliban would be overturned.

March Matching Fundraiser

Here in America, we feel like we're hitting rough times economically. It's hard to show Christian generosity when your stock just lost nearly half its value, and your retirement keeps moving further and further off. So we tell ourselves, forgetting that Christians in Pakistan face death daily for Christ's name, while we hesitate to give even out of our abundance for his sake.

During the month of March, we are trying to raise money for an emergency relief fund. This will give us the resources to offer immediate assistance to persecuted Christians around the world, when and where they have the most pressing need. Thanks to a generous donor, any gifts made to SRO in March will be doubled, up to $2,000, and put towards our emergency relief fund, so please consider contributing this month.

"Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" Matthew 25:37-40

Christians in Pakistan

Being a Christian in Pakistan has been difficult for a long time. In recent weeks their plight has grown even more difficult, as the Taliban are increasingly trying to enforce Islamic beliefs. The extreme application of sharia law will give rise to many serious problems for Christians, with the most serious application being death for converts from Islam.

Please pray for the safety of the Christian community. If you would like to help the Christians practically then please get in touch with us, and we can provide you with further details.

Violence in Nigeria

In the province of Bauchi, Nigeria, there has been a worrying incident of violence. The Barnabus Fund reports “An outbreak of violence on 20 February between Muslims and Christians in Bauchi city, the capital of Bauchi state in Northern Nigeria, has left at least nine Christians dead. Six of them were shot and three killed with machetes. At least six churches, perhaps as many as 13, have been burnt down, as well as three mosques.”

Please keep the families of the murdered Christians, their churches, and all other believers in that area in your prayers. Ask that peace would be restored, and that the Nigerian Christians would resist the desire to return evil for evil.

The Plight of Christians in Burma

“There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practiced.” This was the opening line of a document, leaked a couple years ago by the government of the military regime in power in Burma since 1962. Burma (Myanmar) is listed 5th on the Restriction of Religious Freedom Index, only behind such anti-Christian countries as Saudi Arabia and Iraq. At least four to six percent of the 55,390,000 population of this country is Christian. The majority of the rest of the country’s population is Buddhist. The government has restricted the building of churches and in 2004 it was illegal to print or import the Bible into Burma. More recently there continues to be censorship of local publications of the Bible. In 2007 a Buddhist monk, backed by the military burned down a church and in ongoing ethnic struggles, 27,000 of the predominantly Christian Karen tribe were driven from their homes.
In a more recent example of the persecution of Christians in Burma, pastors in Rangoon were forced to sign papers that they said they would stop holding their church services. The Kyauktada Township “Peace and Development” Council summoned more than 40 local church leaders, forcing them to sign the papers, which said that pastors would be punished and even jailed if they failed to comply. The military government, or junta, of Burma has in past years issued permits to churches, but since the late 1990’s have no longer issued these permits, so churches are forced to meet covertly in residential apartments.
In early May 2008, the cyclone Nargis left tens of thousands dead, including many who died from the lack of relief following the disaster. The government prohibited the aid that was offered by other countries and organizations and, only when it was too late to save many, allowed agencies to help. As reported by World magazine, the government has barred help to the Karen minority. And yet, this tragedy has swelled the numbers of the church in Burma, with private Christian aid helping to bring in the gospel.
SRO has sought to get involved in aiding suffering Christians in this oppressed country, and has found an excellent avenue in the ministry of Sabbath House, an organization based here in Moscow. Sabbath House has sent funds raised by SRO to its contacts in Rangoon (Yangon), to supply medicine for clinics in northern Burma, and to cover basic needs for Mercy Children’s Home, an orphanage in Rangoon. Moscow locals became familiar with the faces of these orphans over the summer and fall, as they were displayed on the poster at SRO’s Farmer’s Market table. SRO’s army of volunteers faithfully baked goodies and staffed the table from July through October, bringing in more than $1200 for Mercy Children’s Home. All told, SRO has send about $1900 to Burma over the past nine months, helping to meet most of the orphanage’s pressing needs. SRO is committed to continuing to search out opportunities to minister to the oppressed throughout Burma and we pray weekly for their deliverance.


Things to keep in prayer
--Thanksgiving for God’s provision, through SRO and others, of Mercy Children’s Home’s major needs.
--Thanksgiving for Pastor Naing Thang’s ministry to Christians throughout Burma
--Prayer that God would overthrow the oppressive regime that has killed and impoverished millions in Burma for the past 60 years.
--Prayer that God would give peace to the Karen people of eastern Burma, most of whom are now refugees.
--Prayer for the continued success of Mercy Children’s Home’s ministry, and for their protection from disease.
--Prayer that God would bring the plight of Christians in Burma to the attention of more Westerners.


Reference Links
http://www.worldmag.com/articles/14809
http://www.mizzima.com/news/inside-burma/1514-rangoons-christians-banned-from-worshiping.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1540121/Burma-'orders-Christians-to-be-wiped-out'.html
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=12#Articles
http://www.barnabasfund.org/pdfdocs/LOP32_IG3.pdf

by Becca Hurt, SRO Columnist

Crisis in Somalia

Somalia has not earned for itself an enviable reputation over the past two decades. The country has suffered from border disputes, drought and war ever since its independence and has not had a functioning government in almost twenty years. It is a nation well-known for its warlords, Islamist militia and, just recently, pirates. Last November Somali pirates successfully captured and held ransom the Sirius Star – the largest ship ever to be captured. The Saudi oil-tanker was released this last month. Other than the occasional mention in the news, most people probably associate Somalia with Blackhawk Down, a movie documenting the downing of a Blackhawk helicopter and the killing of U.S. Army Rangers by Somali militias in 1993.

The newly formed government based in Djibouti has just elected Sheik Sharif Ahmed, a more moderate Islamist leader, as their president. However, he and his government face a hard task ahead of them as the Islamist militia in Somalia (Al-Shabab) are unlikely to recognise their authority. Moreover, the challenges of famine, poverty, insecurity and lawlessness, not to mention the shadow of many failed peace-attempts, dim any hope Somalis might have for the future.

Al-Shabab are an increasingly radical Islamist group that controls most of southern Somalia, including the capital, Mogadishu, the city of Baidoa, and the port of Kismayo. In terms of size, organisation, financial and military strength, they are probably the most powerful group in Somalia, and certainly the biggest threat to the new government. They are also the biggest threat to Christians as they have imposed strict Sharia Law in their territory and plan to extend this to other areas that come under their control.

Only last September the world saw what this meant with the killing of a Christian aid worker not far from Baidoa. Mansuur Mohammed, a World Food Program worker who had converted from Islam to Christianity earlier in 2005, was beheaded in a public execution. The Islamists gathered the villagers telling them they were going to give them a feast. An eyewitness reported what happened next:

“Five masked men emerged carrying guns, wielding Somali swords and dragging the handcuffed Mohammed. One pulled back Mohammed’s head, exposing his face as he scraped his sword against his short hair as if to sharpen it. Another recited the Quran as he proclaimed that Mohammed was a ‘murtid,’ an Arabic term for one who converts from Islam to Christianity.

The Muslim militant announced that Mohammed was an infidel and a spy for occupying Ethiopian soldiers.

Mohammed remained calm with an expressionless face, never uttering a word, said the eyewitness. As the chanting of “Allah Akubar [God is greater]” rose to a crescendo, one of the militiamen twisted his head, allowing the other to slit his neck. When the head was finally severed from the torso, the killers cheered as they displayed it to the petrified crowd.

The militants allowed one of their accomplices to take a video of the slaughter using a mobile phone. The video was later circulated secretly and sold in Somalia and in neighboring countries in what many see as a strategy to instill fear among those contemplating conversion from Islam to Christianity.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that a similar incident took place in Lower Juba province of Somalia in July, when Christians found with Bibles were publicly executed. Their families fled to Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, and such killings are forcing other Christians to flee to neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti.

(This account was taken from the Christian Persecution Info website. http://www.christianpersecution.info/news/somalia-christian-aid-workers-beheaded-for-converting-from-islam-16822)

The situation is only a little better for Somali Christians who are refugees living in neighbouring countries. Many of them live in daily fear of being attacked, and in the U.N. refugee camps things are not much better - Christians have been beaten and stabbed, despite supposedly being under U.N. protection. The administration over these camps is powerless to guarantee their safety, and all too often turns a blind eye to threats.

In spite of all this, more Somalis are becoming Christians and are faithfully following Christ. There is increasing evangelism among Somalis in Kenya and Ethiopia. Somali Christians are showing God’s lovingkindness to their fellow Somalis through the way they live their lives. In Nairobi, Kenya, there are a number of ministries reaching out to Somalis in the Eastleigh area (where a large portion of the Somali population lives). There is also outreach to Somalis at Kijabe hospital, which is run by Christians and is well-known by Somalis (both in Kenya and Somalia) for the excellent healthcare provided there. Many Somalis go there to get treatment and are also blessed with spiritual treatment. A number of Somali Christians have helped to set up a Christian radio station in Ethiopia. This is able to reach much of Somalia where it would be far too dangerous to go. Their evangelistic broadcasts in Somali have been met with some exciting responses. There are still a good number of Christians deep inside Somalia who are being faithful in spite of their persecution.

Please pray for these people and their nation.

Things to keep in prayer
• 1.3 million Somalis are displaced – pray for Somali refugees scattered across the globe.
• 3.5 million need food aid (43% of the population) – pray that God will provide food for those in need
• Since 1991 Somalia has lacked a central government – pray that peace will come to this war-torn nation.
• The spread of Sharia Law – pray that a more moderate government would come into power.
• Somali Christians – pray that they would stand firm and be faithful in spite of so much persecution and opposition. Also, pray that they would be living testimonies to the love of God and His life-changing power.
• Ministries to the Somali people – pray that they would be fruitful and that many Somalis would be brought to faith in Christ.


by SRO correspondent Sam Bussey (01/31/2009)