CHRETIENS PERSECUTES EN TERRE D'ISLAM

	News and Prayer for the Persecuted June 20th, 2010
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Article One
06/14/10 Philippines (ChristianPost) Al-Qaida-Linked Militants Behead 3 Filipino Loggers- Security officials reported that about 30 Abu Sayyaf gunmen encountered the loggers as they were working in the forest. Three hours later, searching relatives found the remains of their husbands and fathers in the woods. Some think the religious killings were motivated out of revenge for action taken against the terrorist group. Authorities are looking for the men now, but they have not been brought to justice. Full Story Pray that the families of these brutally murdered men would find comfort and peace in our Lord Jesus, and that the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website.
Article Two
06/14/2010 Turkey (Spero News) To Kill a Bishop: Symbolic Beheading- Father Luigi Padovese, a Catholic Bishop, was recently brutally murdered and beheaded by his Muslim chauffer. Despite promises from the government to protect religious minorities, Christians and Jews are preparing for the worst. Fr. Martin Kmetec, a Franciscan missionary, said, "With the brutal murder of Bishop Padovese, they have symbolically beheaded the Church in Turkey...Christians are scared, terrified, and even bewildered after this tragic event. Today, our situtation is very difficult. Many people wonder about what step to take next, whether they should emigrate, where to go." Full Story Pray that the Christian community in Turkey would be strengthened as they mourn the loss of one of their leaders. Pray that the government would follow up its promises of protection, and that God would use Bishop Padovese's death to further the spread of the Gospel in Turkey. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website on Turkey.
Article Three
06/15/2010 Afghanistan (AsiaNews) Afghan Christians Sentenced to Death for Their Faith- We can hardly imagine being sentenced to death in the United States for converting to Christianity, however, this unspeakable possibility is truth for Dari-speaking Christians in Afghanistan who were condemned to death on May 31 for abadoning their Muslim faith to convert to Christianity. Nearly 150 Afghan refugees have saught asylum in India in order to save their lives and those of their families due to this order of execution issued to all Muslims who convert. Reports from Afghanistan have spoken of many arrests in recent days as well as reports of torture of those under arrest in order to extract names of other Christian converts. Many Christians have already been identified and are saught after and many Afghan believers are already missing. Full Story. Our fellow Christians in Afghanistan have requested that we please pray: Pray that the international Christian community will rise up and pressure the Afghan government to stop persecuting and killing Christians; Pray that the Afghan government will give Christians freedom of religion; Pray that persecuted Christians will remain strong in their faith in Christ despite incredible pressure and suffering. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website on Afghanistan.
Article Four
06/15/2010 Somalia (CDN) 17-Year-Old Somali Girl Beaten By Family For Leaving Islam - The family of a 17-year-old Somali girl have repeatedly beaten and shackled her to a tree for more than a month for recently converting to Christianity. Nurta Mohamed Farah of Bardher, Gedo Region in southern Somalia, has been confined to her house since May 10 when her family learned that she had embraced Christianity. Her parents brought her to a doctor who prescribed medication for a "mental illness" after her father, Hassan Kafi Ilmi, and mother, Hawo Godane Haf, were alarmed by her dedication to keep her faith. They decided that she had gone crazy and forced her to take the prescription, however, the medicine had no effect in swaying her from her faith. The tiny Christian community in Gedo Region reports that the girl is shackled to a tree by day and confined to a small, dark room at night. The suffering began after she declined her family's offer of forgiveness in exchange for renouncing Christianity. The confinement began after the medication and punishments failed. Full Story. Pray that Nurta will remain strong in her faith as these repeated attacks come from those closest to her. Pray that her family will see her faith and may be convicted to pursue this love they see displayed in their daughter. Pray for Somalia as increased attacks and persecution have wreaked havoc on the little Christian community in the country. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website.
Article Five
6/16/10 Pakistan (CDN) Muslims in Pakistan Kidnap, Rape Christian Girl- Five Muslim men kidnapped and raped a 14-year-old Christian girl, threatening to kill her if she wasn't permitted to marry one of them. She was rescued by police after a week of terror, but her attackers escaped. One of the kidnappers told her father, Lazarus Masih, that a religious teacher had told them that "if you marry a non-Muslim or rape a non-Muslim girl, you will get 70 virgins in heaven." Masih's daughter had left home in a rickshaw, followed by the five men. They captured her, drugged her unconscious, and raped her. The family has filed a police report against the men, and several advocacy organizations have taken up the case. The daughter refuses to speak to anyone. Full Story Pray for the Masihs, pray that the daughter will receive healing and feel the love of God wash over her and give her peace. Pray that the family will be safe from further attacks, and that the kidnappers will be caught and punished. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website on Pakistan.
Article Six
6/17/10 Morocco (ICC) Moroccan Christian Serving 15 Years for Faith- International Christian Concern has learned that Jamaa Ait Bakrim is currently serving 15 years in jail after being charged with "proselytizing," a charge punishable under Moroccan law. Jamaa has been imprisoned since 2005. He was convicted of proselytism and "destruction of goods of others." A Moroccan Christian told ICC, "This second charge is a common legal tactic of creating a separate infraction to lengthen the sentence and shift attention from the actual issue of religion." The same charge has been used to deport many foreigners, showing the duplicity of the Moroccan government as they claim religious freedom yet systematically repress it. Full Story Pray that Morocco would open up to the Gospel and that Jamaa would be strengthened in prison. Pray that he would be released, that his case would gain international attention, and that the international community would begin to put pressure on Morocco to stop persecuting non-Muslims. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website on Morocco.
Article Seven
6/17/10 China (ChinaAid) Chengnan Church Faces Total Destruction- Secular China has long made it a policy to suppress and persecute Christians, and other countries tend to ignore China's abysmal human rights record. In 2008, the government destroyed several Churches in the Tinghu District of Yancheng City. Now the remaining buildings are slated to be demolished. A gang was sent to the area to attack Christians and break up Sunday services, but the Christians are refusing to leave and give their church up. The church was built in 2005, and it has all the proper documentation. But, in 2006, a real estate developer pressured the government to allow them to develop the land. The government agreed, and began to harass the Christians after they refused to sell the grounds for a fraction of its value. Several of the facility's buildings were destroyed and several Christians injured in the first wave of attacks. Full Story Pray that the government would recognize the legality of Chengnan Church and allow it to remain. Pray tthat the believers there would be encouraged and strengthened, and that those who have been injured would be healed. For more general information, please go to ICC’s website on China.
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