Please pray for Christians in United Arab Emirates – World Watch List #26

Peanut Gallery: I’ve fallen behind Open Doors’ posting of their weekly World Watch List update. So the plan is to post an update on Monday and Thursday until I catch up (they are on wk 30). Of course, you can go directly to their USA (here) or UK (here) website any time for the latest information and much more.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (Wikipedia) – World Watch List #26 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 8.1 million (400,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Federation
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Around 80 per cent of the population here are expats. The constitution provides for some religious liberty, but the law denies Muslims the freedom to change religion. Muslim-background believers may be pressured to return to Islam, hide their faith or leave the country. Non-Muslim groups can worship freely in dedicated buildings or private homes, but the government restricts the development of worship facilities for foreign Christians. Open evangelism is prohibited, but Christians in the country have many opportunities for Muslim–Christian dialogue.

PLEASE PRAY:

There are very few local believers. Pray for opportunities to meet for fellowship
That Christians will make the most of every opportunity to share the gospel
For Open Doors partners providing support and training to expat Christians.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

The United Arab Emirates is one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf. The constitution provides for religious freedom on the condition that established customs, public policy or public morals are not violated. Expats enjoy some freedom but also face restrictions, especially migrant workers from developing countries. Evangelism is prohibited, but non-Muslim groups can worship freely in dedicated buildings or private homes. However, the government places restrictions on the development of worship facilities for Christian migrants.

Muslim-background believers suffer the most persecution. All citizens are defined as Muslims and the law denies Muslims the freedom to change religion under penalty of death. To avoid death, social stigma or other penalties, converts may be pressured to return to Islam, to hide their faith or to travel to another country where their conversion is allowed.

Though the Arab Spring did not have much effect in the United Arab Emirates, the latest developments in the Middle East have led the local people to question what good leadership is.

TOP TEN THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE UAE (what life is like for Christians)

Around 80 percent of the population here are expats
The constitution provides for some religious liberty, but the law denies Muslims the freedom to change religion.
Muslim Background Believers may be pressured to return to Islam, hide their faith or leave the country.
Non-Muslim groups can worship freely in dedicated buildings or private homes, but the government restricts the development of worship facilities for foreign Christians.
Open evangelism is prohibited, but Christians in the country have many opportunities for MuslimChristian dialogue.
Though there are some expat Christians, there are very few indigenous believers.
The constitution and laws are fairly new, as the UAE gained its independence in 1971.
The UAE is often seen as one of the most Westernized and liberal countries in the Middle East, but there are still a great number of restrictions for religious minorities.
Since 2006, the standard weekend has been Friday and Saturday. This was established as a compromise between the Muslim holy day (Friday) and the Western weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
Emirati typically wear a kandura, which is an ankle-length white tunic. Many Emirati women wear an abaya, which is a black over-garment, covering most parts of their body

Urgent call for prayer: Christians in Egypt – World Watch List #25

EGYPT (Wikipedia) – World Watch List#25 (Open Doors UK)
Leader: President Mohammed Morsi
Population: 82.84 million (10 million Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

The 2011 revolution that ousted President Mubarak initially brought Muslims and Christians together, but improved relations were short-lived. The Muslim Brotherhood won parliamentary elections in November 2011 and a new Islamist-backed constitution was signed into law in December 2012. Support for both the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi Islam is growing. The government has been unable to impose necessary law and order, to the detriment of the protection of Christians. Persecution is on the rise and massive emigration of Christians is a concern. But the church continues to grow.

AN URGENT CALL FOR PRAYER
+ For Muslims and Christians, that no lives would be lost
+ For the witness of Christians to remain a clear light in the middle of such darkness
+ For divine love to fill the hearts of Christians for their persecutors and for the joy of the Lord to be their strength in these coming tough days.
+ For an end to violent unrest and for true freedom and democracy to be established
+ That the new Coptic Pope, Tawadros II, will continue to unite the denominations in Egypt so that the church is united in sharing the gospel

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

In response to the call for nationwide protests against President Morsi, planned to take place at the end of June, Egyptian Christians are making an impassioned plea for worldwide prayer.

“We, Christians of Egypt, who love our country and seek God’s redemption for every soul, are urging our dear brothers and sisters in the extended body of Christ all over the world, to lift our country up before the throne and to create together a shield of prayers to stand against the great evil that is threatening to fall on Egypt in the coming few days.

Nationwide protests

“In response to the call for nationwide protests against President Morsi, planned to take place on 30 June, multitudes of Egyptians are planning to go down to the streets in every city, town or village, one year after Morsi had sworn the oath into office on 30 June 2012.

“The opposition movement has managed, through an army of volunteers, to collect 15 million signed forms of Egyptians who proclaim their rebellion against, and rejection of, President Morsi and his regime, calling for early presidential elections.

“In return, the Muslim Brotherhood Party and its supporters have also claimed to have been collecting millions of signatures to support President Morsi. They have also called their followers to fill all major squares of Egypt on the 28June.

“Please stay by our side”

“No one in Egypt today speaks about anything but the expected scenarios of the very likely confrontation between the two sides of the split nation. There is a gloomy spirit of anticipating that the worst is most likely going to happen. Please stay by our side and join us in prayer.”

BACKGROUND:

Egypt is home to around 10 million Christians but Islam is the state religion and the population is predominantly Muslim. Massive emigration is a concern and persecution is on the rise. The country made headlines in October 2011 with the Maspero massacre in which 26 Coptic Christians were killed.

The Muslim Brotherhood won the parliamentary elections on 25 November 2011 and is now in control of the country’s legislative and executive power, making Islam more visible. No political answers have been given to the problems of poverty and unemployment faced by the country so the people seek refuge in religion and are vulnerable to radical expressions of Islam. Support for both the Muslim Brotherhood and strict Salafi Islam is growing. However, the church is also growing slowly.

Egypt’s future will largely be determined by politics. A new constitution could drastically reshape the country. However, a scenario in which the church is confined to a situation of dhimmitude is more likely in light of recent developments.

Please pray for Christians in Tanzania – World Watch List #24

TANZANIA (Wikipedia) – World Watch List #24 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 47.7 million (29.5 million Christians)
Main Religion: Christianity/Islam
Government:</strong> democratic republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

A Christian majority country with a substantial Muslim population, there is a strong Islamist drive towards the Tanzanian ‘House of Islam’. On the mainland, Muslim-background believers face difficulties but not extreme persecution.

However, on the Zanzibar archipelago, Islamic militants bent on wiping out all Christians from the islands have burnt and looted churches and threatened Christians with death. The push for the spread of Islam is less violent but equally persistent on the mainland. If successful, it could threaten the presence of the church on the Zanzibar archipelago.

PLEASE PRAY:

+ For wisdom for those involved in the constitutional review process. Pray that pressure from Islamic extremists will be resisted and freedom of religion protected
+ For protection for church leaders on Zanzibar and Pemba islands
+ Give thanks for freedom to preach the gospel. Pray that Christians will have courage to share God’s love with Muslims.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

The Zanzibar archipelago makes up only a very small part of Tanzania and has a president and a semi-autonomous political structure, separate from the mainland political system. Tanzania is a Christian majority country with a very substantial Muslim population. There is a strong Islamist drive towards the Tanzanian ‘House of Islam’.

The situation for Muslim-background believers is difficult but not extreme. The state hasn’t declared Islam as a prescriptive national religion and local governments seem to respect this rather well. However, Muslim-background believers have still been forced to flee their homes, and had their spouses forcefully married to another Muslim.

The aftermath of religion-linked violence in Geita, Tanzania (IRIN)

In Zanzibar there was serious violence, driven by ‘Vugu vugu la uamsho’ (‘Revival Movement for the Preservation of Islam’). It claimed to be wiping out all Christians from the Zanzibar archipelago, mainly Zanzibar Island. Churches were burnt, church property looted and Christians, especially church leaders, were threatened with death.

The Zanzibar archipelago is a very serious instigator of hostilities against Christians, not only on the islands but also on mainland Tanzania. They have strong Islamic militant groups that often persecute Christians heavily.

On mainland Tanzania the push for the further spread of Islam is less violent but equally persistent. Part of this push is through the constitutional review process, and strategic infiltration of main sectors of society. If the push for secession succeeds, the presence of the church on Zanzibar and Pemba Islands is likely to be reduced to (nearly) zero. The frantic moves of Islamists in mainland Tanzania will continue. For the church, this means difficult times are likely to be ahead.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Tanzania was once celebrated as a role model for peace in Africa, but is no longer being considered ‘safe’ after an increase in inter-faith violence, with little evidence so far of perpetrators being brought to justice. A blast outside St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Arusha, a town popular with tourists visiting the Serengeti national park and Mount Kilimanjaro, was just the most recent example.

The newly built church, in the Olasti district on the outskirts of Arusha, was celebrating its first ever mass at the time of the attack, which left three dead and more than 60 injured.

Tension has been building between the two most populous religious communities in Tanzania – Christians comprise 62 percent of the population, while 35 percent is Muslim (Pew, 2010).

In Zanzibar, which is 97 percent Muslim, arsonists burned the Evangelical Church of Siloam on February 19, two days after gunmen killed a Catholic priest, Father Evaristus Mushi, in the Motni area of the island.

Earlier that month, an Assemblies of God minister, Pastor Mathayo Kachili, was hacked to death in the Geita region of Lake Victoria, when he intervened in an altercation between villagers over the slaughter of an animal, after the local government had granted Christians the right to practice as butchers.

Please pray for Christians in Mauritania – World Watch List #23

MAURITANIA (Wikipedia)

Population: 3.6 million (4,500 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Islamic republic
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism

Mauritania is proud to be a pure Muslim country, and its laws prohibit conversion to the Christian faith. Harsh government restrictions make it very difficult for Christian missions to operate here. Religious beliefs and practices are strongly restricted by government policies, although the government is weak in enforcing them. Pressure on Muslim-background believers from family, tribe members and local Muslim leaders is very high. The Arab Spring has not yet had an impact but Islam extremism is becoming more influential.

PLEASE PRAY:

There were reports of believers being beaten for their faith in 2012. Pray for protection and perseverance for God’s people
Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb is monitoring Christian activity. Pray that its influence will diminish
That literacy and translation projects will give more Mauritanians access to the Bible in their own language.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS

Mauritania is not often in the news and seems to have been forgotten by the international community. Very little attention has been given to the suffering of the small, local church. The country’s constitution does not include any provisions for religious freedom and its laws prohibit conversion to the Christian faith. Pressure on Muslim-background believers from family, tribe members and leaders of local mosques is constant throughout the country.

In December 2012, Islamist Members of Parliament questioned the government about their attitude towards foreign Christian organisations and in July 2011, the council of Mauritanian Imams asked the government to criminalise obvious apostasy and proselytising. The influence of al-Qaeda in the Maghreb is growing and attempting to monitor Christian activity in the country.

BACKGROUND – There are a few countries on the World Watch List that we can’t share stories from. Even if we were to use different names, the Christian population is so small, that the story could easily be traced back to the individual. For their security, we are providing a different way to pray for the country this week.

Here are the top 10 things to know about what life is like for Christians in Mauritania:

1 – Mauritania has been under military rule for more than 30 years, with only a short democratic interruption in 2007. Promises to bring democracy back to the country have only resulted in rigged elections.

A woman breastfeeds her infant at a health centre. Lack of food and limited access to basic services have contributed to a rising rate of malnutrition in children.

2 – Mauritania is one of the world’s poorest countries. One third of the children are malnourished, and when there is enough food, it is often too expensive for the poor to afford.

3 – During the winter of 2010/2011 several articles in the local media portrayed the “foreign” activities in Mauritania, including the names and the organizations deemed most guilty of Christianization. In early July 2011, some prominent Imams published their request to the Mauritanian parliament to protect the Mauritanian people from hearing the Gospel and to reject every Christian organization by a fight to have every attempt of sharing the Gospel in Mauritania curtailed.

Militiaman from the Ansar Dine Islamic group, who said they had come from Niger and Mauritania, ride on a vehicle at Kidal in northeastern Mali, in this 16 June 2012 file photo. (Photo: Reuters - Adama Diarra)

4 – The main persecution dynamic in Mauritania is ‘Islamic extremism’ which has become more visible demonstrating the growing influence of Salafism.

5 – The first locals coming to Jesus were reported in the 90s. Mauritanian believers are few (with estimates ranging from around 150 all the way to 700).

A market in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, where Christians make up a tiny 0.16% of the populatio

6 – Many Christians don’t know the Ten Commandments and their ethics are influenced by the Muslim environment. It seems that the lack of biblical knowledge creates ethic problems. Other difficult obstacles for the church are its poverty and the illiteracy.

7 – The Church is divided in many groups. Some of them are united in networks but many believers are alone in their villages. In the countryside, Mauritanian leaders notice an interest for the faith issues and the Bible. The testimonies of the believers arrested and tortured in 2009 have encouraged more local believers to share about Jesus in the country.

The most common threat to Christians abroad is militant IslamPicture: ALAMY

8 – Pressure on Muslim Background Believers from family, tribe members and leaders of local mosques, is very high. There is some freedom for expat churches, but even for expats residing in the country, it is complicated. It remains completely impossible for Mauritanian Christians to register their churches, so they must meet in secret.

9 – There are many barriers such as low literacy rates, no Scriptures completed in Hassaniya Arabic, only a few local radio broadcasts from Senegal, and laws that forbid Mauritanians from hearing the gospel or believing in Jesus.

10 – Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb is monitoring Christian activity.

Please pray for Christians in Oman – World Watch List #22

OMAN (Wikipedia) – World Watch List #22 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 2.9 million (35,000 Christians)
Main Religion: Islam
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Source of Persecution: Islamic extremism/dictatorial paranoia

The legal system names all citizens as Muslim and all legislation is based on Islamic law. Apostasy is not a criminal offence, but Omani converts face legal discrimination and could lose their family, job, or even their life if their faith is discovered. Almost the entire Christian population is expatriate; there are few indigenous Christians. All religious organisations must register and Christian meetings are monitored. Several foreign workers were deported in 2011 because of their Christian activities.

PLEASE PRAY:

That the few indigenous believers will find ways to meet for fellowship
Open evangelism is prohibited by law. Pray for wisdom for Christians sharing the gospel
Permission is needed from the authorities for the distribution of religious literature. Pray that God’s Word will spread through Christian TV and internet sites.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS

There has been no visible change in recent years in the situation for Christians in Oman. Islam is the state religion and Sharia (Islamic law) forms the basis for legislation. The very concept of a change of faith for an Omani citizen is anathema. An Omani convert faces problems under the Personal Status and Family Legal Code, which prohibits a father from having custody of his children if he leaves Islam.

All religious organisations must register and Christian meetings are monitored for political messages and nationals who may be attending. Although no violent persecution has been reported, there have been deportations of expat Christians in the past. This was primarily because of their open witness, which is prohibited by law. Permission is needed from the authorities for the distribution of religious literature also.

TOP TEN – things to know about what life is like for Christians in Oman

The law prohibits religious discrimination but all religious organizations must register.
All public school curriculums (grades K-12) include instruction in Islam.
Almost the entire Christian population (around 35,000) is made up of expatriates; indigenous Christians number only a few hundred.
Foreign Christians are often tolerated and allowed to worship in private homes or work compounds.
The government records religious affiliation on national identity cards for citizens and on residency cards for non-citizens.
Muslim Background Believers risk persecution from family and society, but the government may intervene on request from the family. In such cases, these believers are often treated as psychiatric patients.
Muslim Background Believers can lose their family, house, and job and can even be killed.
There are some government limitations on proselytizing and printing religious material. Non-Muslim groups are prohibited from publishing religious material, although non-Muslim religious material printed abroad may be imported after government inspection and approval.
The Protestant Church in Oman (PCO) is the fruit of the active presence of RCA, a branch of the Reformed Church of America (RCA), which started its work in Oman in 1893.
Currently PCO, under the combined leadership of the Reformed Church of America and the Anglican Church, ministers to over 1000 believers from 60 countries.

Indonesian Christians Singing at PCO (Protestant Church in Oman)
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