The Weekly Persecution & Prayer Alert
The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A weekly news and prayer digest on the Persecuted Church.
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In this week's edition: reports from North Korea, Uzbekistan, Indonesia
and the Maldives.
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1. Underground church leaders executed in North Korea
Three leaders of an underground house church in North Korea have been
executed and 20 of their Christian associates jailed. North Korean
police raided a house in Kuwal-dong in Pyungsung county, Pyongan
province, and arrested all 23 believers who had gathered for a
"religious function."
Three "ringleaders" were tried, sentenced to death, and executed soon
afterwards. The other 20 were reportedly sent to prison camp No. 15 in
Yodok. The arrests and executions happened in mid-May -- the news,
however, only recently emerged from the so-called "hermit kingdom." The
events have also been confirmed by North Korea Intellectual Solidarity,
a group of North Korean defectors based in Seoul committed to raising
awareness of injustice and promoting reform in their homeland. The 23
Christians had reportedly come to faith after some of them travelled to
mainland China on business and came into contact with the church there.
(Sources: Release International, AsiaNews)
Please pray for believers in North Korea who follow Jesus at great
risk. May they have opportunities to meet together to provide
encouragement to one another. Pray for all those in authority in this
nation, ask the Lord to favour them with wisdom, compassion and the
light of the Gospel. Please pray that those in prison may know of the
love and presence of their Heavenly Father.
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2. Christians jailed and fined in Uzbekistan
Ten Protestants were recently jailed for between three and five days,
and three were fined 80 times the minimum monthly wage following a
brutal raid on July 28 in Tashkent's Mirzo-Ulugbek District.
Twenty-three people, including small children, were detained and two
personal Bibles, four songbooks and one textbook of violin lessons were
confiscated. They then began pushing the believers forcefully into cars
outside. Some of the believers were kicked and hit while they were
dragged out of the house. Elsewhere a court has ordered that officially
permitted Christian books and leaflets found in a raid should be
confiscated and destroyed, violating Uzbek legal procedure. (Source:
Forum 18)
Please pray that Christians in Uzbekistan will continue to be faithful
in spite of the opposition. Pray especially for wisdom for church
leaders when dealing with the authorities. Pray for those who have
suffered for their faith in Uzbekistan. Pray the Lord will continue to
spread the Gospel in this nation.
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3. Church members injured in Bekasi, Indonesia
Leaders of a church in West Java, Indonesia have demanded justice from
police after an attack from Muslim protestors left at least a dozen
people injured. As some 20 members of the Batak Christian Protestant
Filadelfia Church in Bekasi gathered for Sunday worship on a
church-owned plot of land in Ciketing on August 8, at least 300 members
of the Islamic People's Forum (FUI) and the Islamic Defenders Front
(FPI) broke through a police barricade and ordered them to leave. When
the church members refused, the protestors assaulted the group with
sticks, stones and their bare hands. As many as 700 protestors
reportedly took part in the attack on the congregation of 1,500
members. When church members decided to leave, the mob "hunted us down
and hit us," a church leader said. Several church members required
medical attention. The police chief, however, said he blamed the church
members as he had warned them not to hold services in the area because
they were disturbing residents. The church has filed charges against
the FUI and FPI for assault and defiling a religion. (Source: Compass
Direct)
Please pray the Lord's healing hand will be upon those who were caught
in the attacks. Pray these Christians will not have a spirit of fear
but rather a spirit of faithfulness. May their conduct be a witness for
the gospel. Pray that Christians will be granted the freedom to meet
together to worship.
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4. Prospects of religious freedom appear grim in the Maldives
Other than Saudi Arabia, the Maldives is the only nation that claims a
100-percent Muslim population. However, the Indian Ocean archipelago
featuring 1,192 islets southwest of Sri Lanka has more than 70,000
expatriate workers representing several non-Islamic religions,
including Christianity. Those who intermingle must exercise caution.
"Even if you engage any Maldivian in a discussion on Christianity and
the person reports it to authorities, you can be in trouble," said a
source who requested anonymity. "A Maldivian youth studying in Sri
Lanka became a Christian recently, but when his parents came to know
about it, they took him away. We have not heard from him since then."
The source added that such instances are not uncommon in the Maldives.
Abdulla Yameen, brother of the former dictator of the Maldives and
leader of an opposition party ally, said that on May 28 a 37-year-old
Maldivian citizen, Mohamed Nazim, was attacked after he told a
gathering that he was not a Muslim. Before a crowd of around 11,000
Maldivians, Mohamed told a visiting Indian Muslim televangelist, Zakir
Naik, that although he was born to a practicing Muslim family, he was
"struggling to believe in religions." When Mohamed asked Zakir about
his "verdict on Islam," many called for Mohamed's death while others
beat him. "See how the public went after his throat," said Abdulla,
proud of their "passion" for Islam. Asked if such passion was good for
a society, he replied, "Yes. We are an Islamic nation, and our religion
is an important part of our collective identity." (Source: Compass
Direct)
Please pray the Lord will break down the restrictions in this nation to
share the Gospel. Pray He will raise up bold believers to make the
most of every opportunity to share their faith. Pray for wisdom for of
all believers as they serve Christ.
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