Please pray for Christians in India – World Watch List #31

INDIA(Wikipedia) – World Watch List #31 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 1.2 billion (71 million Christians)
Main Religion: Hinduism
Government: Federal republic
Source of Persecution: Religious militancy/Islamic extremism/ Organised corruption

Religious militants are one of the most prominent attackers of the Christian minority, claiming that every Indian has to be Hindu. ‘Anti-conversion laws’ have been adopted in several states and are frequently used as a pretext to disrupt church services and to harass and accuse Christians. Permission to build or renovate a church building is almost impossible and church activities can be perceived as ‘hurting religious feelings’ and ‘disturbing peace and order’. The caste system, which is deeply rooted in society, makes outreach extremely difficult.

PLEASE PRAY:

For Christians attending Open Doors’ ‘Standing Strong through the Storm’ seminars to strengthen them in the face of persecution
For converts from Hindu or Muslim backgrounds, who face exclusion by friends and family
Praise God that, despite the troubles, the Indian church is growing.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

Religious militants who follow the Hindutva ideology believe that every Indian must be Hindu, and are one of the main sources of persecution. The Christian minority therefore never relies on fair treatment and is discouraged from claiming their rights. The successful political party relying on this is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). ‘Anti-conversion laws’ have been adopted in several federal states and are frequently used as a pretext to disturb and disrupt church services as well as to harass and accuse Christians. Permission to build or renovate a church building is almost impossible and all church activities can be perceived as ‘hurting religious feelings’ and ‘disturbing peace and order’.

A Maoist-Communist movement called the ‘Naxalites‘, which fights the government, can be found in at least 12 states. They perceive Christians as enemies who have links with the government and the West. Islamic extremism also continues to grow and converts from a Muslim background have to withstand exclusion by their family, friends and neighbours, which can be also true for Hindu converts. The Hindutva movement is also targeting tribes aggressively and corruption is rife in the country. The caste system, which is deeply rooted in society, makes outreach extremely difficult. Despite all these troubles, the Indian church is growing. It is very likely that persecution will increase in 2013 and in the run up to 2014 elections.

ANECDOTAL REPORT:

On March 12 in a southeast India village, the local newspaper published allegations that the Divya Jyoti Church had been built on government land.

Members of Divya Jyoti Church were too late to stop a mob from knocking down their building.

The next day, a crowd equipped with a backhoe demolished the small church building, encountering no resistance from the leaders of Guriya Village, in Chhattisgarh state.

Pastor Budhram Baghel said the church building had stood on land belonging to him.

“A temporary shed had been constructed in 2006 on this land, after gaining permission from the authorities and the shed was later replaced by a permanent building,” said Rev. Rakesh Dass, a friend of Bahel’s.

Three residents of Gadia village, filed a complaint that the building encroached on government land. Their allegations were published in the local newspaper, Dass said.

The crowd arrived the next day, led by Kailash Rathi and Yogendra Kaushik, officers of the local Visva Hindu Parisad, or VHP, a Hindu nationalist organization.

Budhram tried to summon help, but it did not arrive quickly enough to prevent the demolition.

Those who protested were assaulted by members of the crowd, Christian witnesses said. They said several local officials, including the revenue officer, land officer, village head, police chief and a group of police officers, watched the demolition without objection.

Please pray for Christians in Tunisia ~ World Watch List #30

TUNISIA (Wikipedia) – World Watch List #30 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 10.7 million (24,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Under former President Ben Ali, Tunisia was a secular country in which timid expressions of Christianity were tolerated. Now, Christians face increasing persecution from the moderately Islamic government and from aggressive Salafist groups. Expat churches face few problems, but local Muslim-background believers face pressure from society, and may be questioned and beaten once their conversion is known. The secular legal system remains in place, but the government is moving towards implementing Islamic law. Despite the increasing pressure, the small indigenous church is growing slowly.

PLEASE PRAY:

Radical Muslims are returning to the country and spreading extremist messages. Pray that their influence will not spread
The economy is in a bad state and unemployment is growing. Pray for wisdom for the government
Importation of Christian books in the Arabic language is obstructed. Ask God to protect Open Doors co-workers distributing Bibles in the country.

[For current news in Tunisia go to Tunisia Live – click here.]

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

Tunisian Christians experience increasing pressure at the private and family level and pressure is clearly greater for those who come to Christ from a Muslim background than for the few expat churches. The secular legal system remains in place, but this is likely to change as the country’s Islamic government is taking steps towards the implementation of Sharia (Islamic law). Although the constitution currently respects freedom of religion, importing Christian books is obstructed, national churches cannot register and local Christians are questioned and beaten once their conversion is known.

Tunisia needs a new political system; the economy is in a bad state, unemployment is growing and tourism levels have dropped. Radical Muslims are returning to the country and spreading extremist messages. The rise of Salafism is also a stressful development for many believers. With political developments looking grim and Islamic movements getting stronger, the situation of the small Christian population in the country has deteriorated and is not expected to improve. However, on a positive note, the small indigenous church seems to be growing slowly.

CHANGES SINCE ARAB SPRING: (Open Doors US)

Things have changed in Tunisia after the Arab Spring first erupted in this North-African country. Dictator Ben Ali is gone and the elections were held with a landslide win for the Islamists. Christians see a greater spiritual openness than ever before in the country, and see discipleship as the principal need at this moment.

The Tunisian Church has already been changing for the last fifteen years. Till the end of last century, there were only house groups of Christians active in this North-African country. Now churches choose to be visible. Last year the church especially grew outside the capital Tunis.

“Coming more to the surface seems to have strengthened the Christians,” explains an Open Doors field worker. Self-awareness grew and the level of fear went down. Now you can see during the Saturday services interested people coming in from the street, attracted by curiosity of what is going on in the churches. We see Church engaging with society. Groups of Christians meet in several smaller cities in Tunisia.” Tunisian Christians see a strong response to the gospel. “I heard of people accepting Christ while escaping teargas,” the field worker. says.

We also spoke with Raatib*, a Christian that doesn’t hide his faith. Raatib is discipling two groups of young Christians in two different cities. He travels a great distance to these places to be able to give the training to the new believers. He is using Open Doors training material. “The church needs discipleship in any way or form, it is by far the most prevalent need for the church,” he says with conviction.

Raatib* – not his real name for security reasons.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 12:49-53 ESV – divided families

Reading: Luke 12:49-53 ESV

Many Muslim Background Believers are forced to live their Christian lives in secret. Continuing to wear clothing sanctioned by Islam, these Christian women risk their lives to worship Jesus Christ.

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – I pray today for divided families… divided between believers and unbelievers. And I pray particularly for Muslim Background Believers. Strengthen them… give them the courage and grace to endure rejection and abuse for their faith. Protect them and guard them from the schemes and snares of the Evil One. Hear their prayers when they cry out to you in their anguish. And do not let them be put to shame for their belief and trust in you. To God be the glory. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Break Every Chain” – Jesus Culture

Please pray for Christians in Algeria – World Watch List #29

ALGERIA (Wikipedia) – World Watch List #29 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 36.5 million (25,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Algeria is increasingly the scene of terror attacks as a result of growing Islamism in the region. The government is pressurised by al-Qaeda in the Maghreb to implement more Islamic legislation, to the detriment of the country’s Christians, most of whom are from a Muslim background. The young Algerian church faces discrimination from family and the state. Islamist groups, encouraged by the Arab Spring, are becoming more visible and monitor Christian activity. In 2012, threats against churches and Christians increased.

Protestant Berber men pray during a mass at a church in the Berber capital of Tizi Ouzou, 60 miles east of Algeria's capital Algiers, in 2010 (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra ) — Protestant Berber men pray during a mass at a church in the Berber capital of Tizi Ouzou, 60 miles east of Algeria’s capital Algiers, in 2010 (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra )

PLEASE PRAY:

The government has not registered any new churches since 2008. Pray for house churches who continue to meet, some openly and some in secret
A religious law introduced in 2006 particularly restricts Christians. Pray that this restrictive law will be abolished
For Christian women. Imprisonment of women and pressure from religious leaders to divorce Christians is common.

Algerian Protestants want their churches back

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS: Major protests in 2011 against Algeria’s authoritarian regime, in which five people died and over 800 were injured, did not bring about a regime change. The military government is still largely in place.

The oppression of Christians has been constant and systemic throughout all spheres of life. Newly issued legislation such as Ordinance 06-03 particularly restricts Christians. Imprisonment of women and pressure from village elders and imams to divorce Christians is common. Persecution is increasing: in 2012, the church in Ouargla was attacked and a Christian lady kidnapped and threatened. The government has not registered any new churches since February 2008 so ‘house churches’ continue to meet, some openly and some in secret. The Algerian Protestant Church (EPA) finally obtained registration in 2011, but no real freedom resulted. The future of the church will depend a great deal on the political situation.

Algerian believer faces loss of inheritance

MORE BACKGROUND: Persecution in Algeria takes many forms: verbal and physical abuse, denigration and slander in the media from Islamist parties, forced divorce, and most recently, the loss of family inheritance under a law inspired by the Islamic Sharia. This is the case for Algerian believer named Mecheri Benslama (Open Doors USA).

Mecheri Benslama is a 55 year old Christian from Laghouat, a town in the north of Algeria. He risks losing the share of his inheritance because of his faith. In January, his Muslim brother brought a court case against him, using the Algerian family law. His brother aimed to deprive Mecheri from all family heritages. The law he used to do that is a law that was adopted in 1984. Article 138 of this law stipulates that an apostate (someone who leaves Islam) cannot inherit from a Muslim. On top of this case, his brother filed another complaint accusing Mecheri of offending the prophet of Islam and the Quran and wanting to convert members of the family, taking advantage of the absence of the Muslim brother filing the complaint.

Mecheri is part of a church that has around hundred members. His pastor Mahmoud is spiritually supporting Mecheri in this difficult time. Mahmoud tells us this isn’t the first time Mecheri received accusations: “previously he was summoned by the police on complaints of apostasy: they asked him to confess Mohammed and Allah, but he refused, telling them that he was a Christian.”

For Mahmoud, this case is yet another injustice committed against Christians in Algeria: “It is an injustice to disinherit someone because he does not share the same religious beliefs. The situation is due to lead to a family tragedy “says the pastor.

“Life as a Woman in the Context of Islam” (YouTube)

Peanut Gallery: Here is another excellent interview with a Muslim-background believer sharing her experiences as a woman…. from Dallas Theological Seminary.