The Weekly Persecution & Prayer Alert

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

The Weekly Persecution & Prayer Alert

The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada

Thursday, December 1, 2011

"Pain and suffering are not good; disobedience to Jesus is even worse."
-- Dr. Kiflu, Eritrean prisoner

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In this week's edition: reports from Egypt, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Iraq.
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1. Update: Religious identification of two boys in Egypt restored to Christianity
(Source: Middle East Concern)

A positive development has ended a long running case concerning twin boys in Egypt. Mario and Andrew's religious registration was changed to "Muslim" by their father when he converted to Islam and divorced their mother, Kamilia. Although Kamilia won a custody battle in 2009, a court ruled in 2010 that the twins' religious registration should remain "Muslim." Kamilia later submitted an appeal

The twins have now been issued with new identity cards that state their religious registration as "Christian." This was made possible because of a Supreme Administrative Court ruling in July that explicitly overrode all previous rulings. The court ruling applies to any who were originally registered as "Christian," but whose registration was subsequently changed to "Muslim," whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

One implication of having these amended identity cards is that the twins should now be ‘treated as Christians within the education system. In 2008 they were held back for a school year after refusing to take an end-of-year examination for an Islamic class. They should now be exempt from those classes.

Thank the Lord for this positive development! Pray that the twins' education will be uninterrupted. Pray that the numerous other Christians in similar positions will quickly and efficiently receive identity cards stating their religious registration as "Christian." Pray for religious freedom in Egypt.

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2. Update: New draft regulations outline official religious censorship in Kazakhstan
(Source: Forum 18 News Service)

Kazakhstan's Agency of Religious Affairs (ARA) has prepared -- but not yet adopted -- new regulations to implement the system of compulsory state censorship of almost all religious literature and objects. The regulations for "expert analyses" will also apply to religious organizations' statutes.

Without such ARA approval, religious books cannot be imported (apart from small quantities) or distributed, and religious organizations will not be able to gain state registration. The draft regulations make no provisions for any challenges to ARA's censorship decisions.

In addition to the censorship regulations, the ARA and various other state bodies are also preparing other regulations to implement October's harsh new Religion Law. These include regulations on how religious communities must register or re-register, how local and foreign citizens wanting to engage in whatever state officials define as "missionary activities" must register, how and where places of worship are allowed to be built, where worship can take place outside registered places of worship, where religious books and materials are allowed to be sold, and what names religious communities are allowed to give to their places of worship.

Pray that these new regulations will not be adopted. Pray that the Lord will give believers in Kazakhstan boldness and tenacity to proclaim the Gospel despite these new potential restrictions. Ask the Lord to provide opportunity and means to flood this nation with His Holy Word.

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3. Police in Pakistan beat Christian couple falsely accused of theft
(Source: Compass Direct News)

A Christian couple is facing charges of theft after police in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, severely beat the pregnant woman and her husband for three days when they refused to confess. Salma Emmanuel, 30, and her husband, Emmanuel Rasheed, 39, said that they were inexplicably arrested after the Muslim woman who employed Salma as a maid had allowed the Christian woman to temporarily store some of her jewelry at her house. Salma said police arrested them on November 5, keeping her at the Women's Police Station for interrogation and her husband at the City Police Station. Upon reaching the police station, an inspector identified only as Nazia and two other policewomen started punching and kicking Salma and striking her with batons, demanding that she "confess her crime." Salma, who is five months pregnant, was taken to a hospital in critical condition on November 7, the life of her unborn child also threatened. The doctor on duty confirmed that her body bore marks of severe violence.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Aziz Afridi denied that police had tortured her, but after reports of the violence reached local media, the deputy inspector general of Haraza Division ordered an investigation. At City Police Station, Emmanuel Rasheed was undergoing a similar ordeal. "The police beat me up mercilessly," he said. "A policeman offered to remove the theft charges against me if I was willing to renounce Christianity and convert to Islam. I told him that no matter what happens, I will not renounce my faith, nor would I confess the false charges made against us."

Thank the Lord for the faithfulness of this couple. Pray they will both make a full and complete recovery. Pray that Salma will safely deliver a healthy child. Pray the investigation will be unbiased and the truth of this case will be brought to light. Pray for all believers in Pakistan who are in danger of facing discrimination and severe opposition because of their faith.

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