Tag: Islam

Please pray for Libyan Christians: Libya #17 World Watch List

Persecuted Church in LIBYA – World Watch List #17 (Open Doors UK)

libya-mapLIBYA (Wikipedia) –
Population: 6.5 million (35,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Transitional government
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Muammar_al-Gaddafi_at_the_AU_summitDuring Gaddafi’s reign, the main source of persecution was the government and its secret services. Today opposition comes from the family, community and fanatical armed groups. But it is still forbidden to import Arabic Scriptures or to evangelise. There is no central government and the rule of law is absent, so Islamist extremist movements like the Salafists are able to perpetrate violence upon believers. Because of the civil unrest, 75 per cent of expat Christians have left the country.

PLEASE PRAY:
Libya_Jihad

  • For strength for secret Christians; they are forbidden from meeting together
  • For a stable government that rules wisely and with justice
  • Give thanks that Christian programmes on TV, radio and the internet are generating growing interest in the Christian faith.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS

Libyan Arab
Libyan Arab

Under Gaddafi’s rule, conditions for Christians were extremely harsh and Libya did not even have a real constitution. The feared and omnipresent secret police made sure restrictions on church activities and distribution of literature were enforced and evangelism criminalised. Muslim background believers were always at risk from their families and most Libyan Christians were afraid to meet as any kind of religious gathering was forbidden. Expats were allowed churches but Libyans were not allowed to attend.

The Libyan revolution has not brought Christians protection and freedom
The Libyan revolution has not brought Christians protection and freedom

The revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia gave Libyans the courage to fight Gaddafi, but despite this leading to Gaddafi’s death, it is feared that the future will be worse. Because of the unrest, an estimated 75 per cent of expat Christians have left the country. The National Transitional Council, who took over after Gaddafi, have repeatedly announced their intent to implement a ‘democracy according to Sharia’ in Libya, in which all citizens are already considered Sunni Muslim by law.

The main sources of persecution today are family, community, fanatical armed groups and, to a lesser extent, the government. To import Arabic Scriptures remains strictly forbidden and proselytising and missionary activity is officially prohibited. Many Libyan Christians are fleeing their homeland. It is unlikely that the situation will change, even with a new constitution.

ANECDOTAL REPORT / REQUEST FOR PRAYER:

Sherif is Egyptian, running a bookshop in Benghazi, in the East of Libya. He was arrested on February 10th and has been detained since then. During his detainment he has been physically abused, while there is no official charge against him, nor has he appeared before court.

Recently, some Egyptians and three non-Arab workers have also been arrested. Continue reading “Please pray for Libyan Christians: Libya #17 World Watch List” →

EGYPT – No ‘Happy Easter’: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Bizarre Religious Intolerance (Re-Blog)

No ‘Happy Easter’: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Bizarre Religious Intolerance

Egyptian President Morsi and his party only get specific on random religious decrees, not policy.

 / MAY 3 2013, 10:30 AM ET

Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood chant pro-Morsi slogans while holding up a poster with a crossed out picture of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and Morsi during a rally in Cairo on December 14, 2012. (Amr Dalsh/Reuters)
Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and members of the Muslim Brotherhood chant pro-Morsi slogans while holding up a poster with a crossed out picture of ousted President Hosni Mubarak and Morsi during a rally in Cairo on December 14, 2012. (Amr Dalsh/Reuters)

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s decision not to attend this coming Sunday’s Coptic Easter mass was entirely predictable. Morsi, after all, declined to attend Pope Tawadros II’s November investiture and, during his previous stint as chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party, Morsi visited a church on Christmas but made a point of emphasizing that he exited before services started. Yet because Morsi’s decision comes on the heels of a Brotherhood fatwa prohibiting Muslims from wishing Christians a “Happy Easter,” Morsi’s coldness towards Christians reflects a central paradox of the Brotherhood’s Islamism: despite its longtime promise to “implement the sharia” upon achieving power, the Brotherhood only offers specific interpretations of Islamic legal principles when it needs to justify its most intolerant impulses.

The fatwa, authored by Brotherhood leader Abdel Rahman al-Barr, is noteworthy for its degree of analytical detail. In it, Barr quotes extensively from the Qur’an to argue that Muslims should only greet Christians on their holidays “so long as this greeting does not come at the expense of our [Islamic] religion.” In other words, Barr writes, Muslims cannot wish Christians a “Happy Easter,” because “our belief as Muslims, which makes ambiguity impossible, is that [Jesus] wasn’t killed or crucified,” though Muslims can greet Christians on Easter with the non-sectarian Arabic salutation ” kulu sana wa-entum tayyibun,” which roughly means “hope you are well this year” and is used for all sorts of occasions, including birthdays. By contrast, he adds, wishing Christians a “Merry Christmas” is permissible, because Muslims view Jesus as a human prophet and thus acknowledge his birth. Continue reading “EGYPT – No ‘Happy Easter’: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Bizarre Religious Intolerance (Re-Blog)” →

Pope Francis to canonize 800 Catholics martyred at hands of Muslim invaders – Re-blog

Peanut Gallery: The Vatican dares to tell it “like it was”… in this current climate of political correctness. I wonder what this will do for Christian / Muslim dialogue? Maybe interject some honesty? Or, is that too much to hope for? Time will tell.
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People view relics of the martyrs in the Cathedral of Otranto (Photo: CNS)
People view relics of the martyrs in the Cathedral of Otranto (Photo: CNS)

Pope Francis to canonize 800 Catholics martyred at hands of Muslim invaders – Liberty Unyielding

by 

Is Catholicism guilty of insensitivity and Islamophobia?

The head of the Catholic Church will be naming hundreds of Italian laymen to the Litany of Saints later in May, as reported by The Catholic Herald (of London, U.K.).

During the Muslim Ottoman siege of the southeastern Italian city of Otranto in 1480, Turkish soldiers had finally forced the garrison to surrender after a weeks-long siege.

Given the option of converting to Islam or every male over the age of 15 face the swordsman, every defender instead chose death.

St Antonio Primaldo
St Antonio Primaldo

“We Are Ready to Die…”

As cited, Blessed Antonio Primaldo (Wikipedia), a tailor, who spoke on the behalf of the prisoners told the invaders:

“We believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God, and for Jesus Christ we are ready to die.”

According to the Archdiocese of Otranto’s website, popular tradition holds that when the Turks beheaded Primaldo, his body remained standing even as the combatants tried to push him over.

Pious legend maintains that the decapitated man stood until the very last prisoner was killed, at which point Primaldo’s body collapsed next to his dead comrades.

Pope Benedict’s Final Act…

Even though the canonization will be formalized under the pontificate of Pope Francis, It was Pope Benedict XVI in his final act before resigning the Papacy, authorized the raising of the 800 to the altar, as reported by EuropeNews.dk earlier this year.

For more information – click here.

Please pray for Christians in Uzbekistan – World Watch List #16

Persecuted Church: UZBEKISTAN – #16 on World Watch List (Open Doors UK)

Uzbekistan Political Map of Central Asia
Uzbekistan
Political Map of Central Asia

UZBEKISTAN (Wikipedia)
Population: 28 million (208,500 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Authoritarian (republic)
Source of Persecution: Dictatorial paranoia/Organised corruption

The regime will do anything to stay in power, so no religious activities outside state-controlled institutions are allowed.

The Russian Orthodox Church has more freedoms, but evangelical Christianity is seen as a destabilising element that needs to be eradicated. Churches live in fear of raids, termination of services, confiscation of literature, and the imposition of heavy fines, which are frequent and increasing. Church members face harassment, detention and arrest for holding private prayer meetings or possessing illegal literature.

PLEASE PRAY:

Tohar Haydarov
Tohar Haydarov
  • That God will strengthen and encourage Christians under pressure on many fronts
  • That larger Christian groups will find ways to gather for worship or training
  • For Tohar Haydarov, imprisoned in 2010 for ten years, on trumped-up charges.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

Uzbekistan womanSystemic corruption is rife in Uzbekistan and anyone opposing this, as Christians do, comes under pressure. Muslim-background believers face pressure from family, friends and community and are perceived as bringing shame to the community. The importation of Scripture is hindered, churches require compulsory registration and there are again frequent and increasingly heavy fines for conducting services or possessing material.

The future is unlikely to see improvement for believers, with an expected transition in leadership in coming years and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2014, which could lead to an influx of Islamic extremists. Uzbekistan also has the highest number of political prisoners among all former Soviet Union states (estimated between 5,000 to 10,000). If those prisoners – frequently imprisoned on true or alleged terrorist charges – are released, this could further fuel sentiment against the Christian minority.

ANECDOTAL REPORT: 

Lena, Ayoub and Latife faced intense persecution when the police had found Christian materials in Ayoub’s father’s house. Police arrested him and Ayoub’s brother, and then took Lena to the police station, where they were all questioned. They were also looking for Ayoub to arrest him as well. Continue reading “Please pray for Christians in Uzbekistan – World Watch List #16” →

Muslim Europe: Opportunities for Evangelism – YouTube

Refugees in Athens, Greece
Refugees in Athens, Greece

Peanut Gallery: People are most open to the Gospel when they are experiencing crisis (e.g. death of a loved one) or change (e.g. transition to a new community). Both of these conditions apply to Middle Eastern and African refugees traveling through Istanbul and Athens in search of a better life in the West. Dr Dwight Ekholm (Entrust)  discusses ministry opportunities in Athens with these refugees. Fascinating insights into God at work in the Middle East.

Notice how Dr Ekholm carefully avoids identifying specific people and places. Evangelism in the Middle East is a dangerous business.

Special thanks to agnus dei for bringing this interview to our attention. Please check out the “Agnus Dei” blog here.

Published on Apr 23, 2013

Dr. Darrell Bock at Dallas Theological Seminary

In Part 1 of this series, Dr. Bock and Dr. Ekholm discuss Dr. Ekholm’s work with refugees in Europe and the opportunities for ministering to Muslims in a Western, secular context.

http://www.dts.edu/thetable/play/musl…
00:00 Dr. Ekholm’s Ministry in Greece
9:05 European Concerns Regarding Open Borders, Immigrants and Refugees
13:57 Dr. Ekholm’s Ministry in the Middle East
18:59 What Draws Muslims to the Gospel?
http://www.dts.edu/thetable/play/musl…
22:11 Issues in Ministering to People From Islamic Backgrounds
http://www.dts.edu/thetable/play/musl…
27:09 Teaching New Believers How to Study the Bible
30:13 Is There a Particular Gospel that Draws Muslims the Most?
http://www.dts.edu/thetable/play/musl…

“We are committed to you as a brother in Christ and we’re not just doing this because this is our job.”