Peanut Gallery: Sharia law in “paradise”… no place for Christians.
2013, Novemer 13, News from Maldives: “An American citizen linked to the Bangladeshi who was caught bringing books on Christianity written in Dhivehi into the country, has been blacklisted and banned from entering the Maldives. Maldives Customs said that the American, Kevin Thomas Greenson, was blacklisted following the collection of sufficient evidence by the Police of his connection with the Bangladeshi, Jathis Biswas, 44. Jathis Biswas has also been deported, following accusations of spreading other religions in Maldives in cooperation with a group of Maldivians. Customs found 11 books on Christianity with Jathis Biswas, who arrived in Maldives on 27 September 2012 on Sri Lankan Airlines.” (SunOnline)
The Maldivian economy is to a large degree based on tourism.
This is the only country in the world which requires all citizens to be Muslim. [The government does not distinguish between national and expat believers.] Conversion to another faith is prohibited by law and converts face extreme persecution from family and society – often having to leave the country. The authorities exert extensive control on the people to correct any deviation from Islam. There are no church gatherings or buildings. Religion is moving towards Deobandi Islam – the religion of the Taliban, whose mission is to cleanse Islam of all other influences. There are very few indigenous Christians. (Open Doors UK)
Pray:
For the handful of secret believers to grow in the love of God
For young people who seek education outside the islands. Pray that they will receive the gospel and return to share it with their communities
That the translation of the New Testament into the Dhivehi language would be completed.
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Open Doors Background: The Maldives are well-known as a dream destination for holidays. The islands are located in the midst of the Indian Ocean, surrounded by blue water and white beaches stretched out under the blazing sun. This is the picture authorities want to give to the outside world. The harsh attitude the government takes towards all Christian believers is less known, darkening the lovely picture of the country considerably. Continue reading “Please Pray for the Few Christians in Maldives – World Watch List # 6”→
Peanut Gallery: Christian Persecution – Somalia #5 on World Watch List
It is too dangerous for believers to meet openly in this strictly Islamic state. Terrorist groups such as al-Shabaab target converts to Christianity and eliminate them.
Aid workers, Christian or otherwise, require tight security due to the risk of abduction.
The election of a new parliament and president in 2012 created a framework for a more legitimate government. But for Christians the future still looks bleak, as the provisional constitution does not allow for religious freedom. (Population: 9.8 million – a few hundred Christians)
Please Pray:
Al-Shabaab, which is backed by al-Qaeda, remains a serious threat. Pray that its influence will diminish
That Christian radio programmes will bring hope to isolated believers and those who are seeking God
Some of those who have returned to Somalia following the political changes have been exposed to Christianity. Pray this will bring more tolerance towards Christians.
Prayer:Heavenly Father – May your Kingdom come… and your will be done… in Somalia, as it is in heaven. Feed your people and deliver them from evil. Lord Jesus – Come in power to Somalia… break their bondage to sin and death… set them free – may your Word go forth with power accomplishing your Kingdom purposes. Holy Spirit – Move among your people… strengthening, encouraging, protecting them. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Persecution dynamics
Islamic leaders maintain that Somalia remains a strictly Islamic state with no room for Christians. Children attend mandatory Madrasa Islamic classes, people are buried with Islamic burial rights whatever their religion might be, and it is extremely difficult to openly declare faith. It is too dangerous to meet openly and families of converts are fearful that they might be suspected of conversion and risk execution. Continue reading “Please Pray for Christians in Somalia – World Watch List #5”→
Christians in Iraq are on the verge of extinction. Large numbers have fled abroad or to the (until recently) safer Kurdish region, where they face unemployment and inadequate schooling, medical care and housing. The church faces many challenges – members being killed or abducted, and a lack of capable leaders. In central and southern Iraq, traditional Christians suffer as much as Muslim-background believers, as a result of their visibility. In May 2012, 20 Christian families in Mosul received threats, and the house of another Christian was set on fire.
Prayer Request:
For the many Christians displaced from their homes by threats of murder or abduction
Ask God to raise up godly, wise leaders to shepherd the church
For Open Doors trauma counsellors working with children and families affected by persecution.
Sargon’s Story: Sargon* and his wife Leja* once lived in Baghdad, where Sargon worked as a mechanic. Now, they live in northern Iraq in a small, sparsely furnished apartment.
Iraqi Christians Flee North While still in Baghdad, the fallout from a bomb claimed three of the lives of Sargon’s fellow mechanics. To this day, though he survived, Sargon carries shrapnel in his shoulder that cannot be removed and continues to cause him pain.
The effects of that day have also resulted in emotional shrapnel in Sargon’s heart, aggravated by increased terrorist attacks in the couple’s neighborhood in Baghdad.
One day Leja found a letter in their mailbox, “You had better get away quickly, or you may die.”
As other Christian in Baghdad had to do, the traumatized couple had to take the letter very seriously. They gathered as much of their possessions together as possible and took off that same night in their old car, heading for northern Iraq.
Sargon found work at a small local garage in their new city. He earned little; hardly enough to pay their rent. So after a while he and his wife began making serious plans to return to Baghdad, despite the dangers.
When Open Doors learned of their situation we provided the couple with a micro loan, which enabled Sargon to start up his own garage.
Although the small micro-loan helped Sargon and Leja make a new start, they still wrestle with serious issues: Tenants moved into their Baghdad home, with the help of the government, and the couple will not be able to get it back without costly legal assistance.
There is no “happy ending” to Sargon and Leja’s story yet, and unfortunately their story is also the story of many Christian refugees in northern Iraq.
Background: Izmit Protestant Church is located in the northern industrial city of Izmit (Wikipedia). It is a small church with 20 members all of whom are Turkish nationals and converts from Islam – as is its pastor of four years, Emre Karaali.
“The İzmit Protestant Church was founded as the first church in the city in 1999, the same year a massive earthquake killed 40,000 in Kocaeli, whose administrative center is İzmit.” (Hürriyet Daily News)
And yet, in a city of 300,000 people, in a country that is 99% Muslim, this pastor and this small church were seen as a threat to the community . Why?
“The church was preparing for four days of celebrations between Jan. 17 and 21 and had invited top local officials in the city before the plot was revealed.” Leaflets announcing the event had been handed out around the city and city officials had been invited. (Hürriyet Daily News)
The chuch had previously been accused of “missionary” activity. Pastor Karaali was pushing the envelope in Izmit by openly sharing his faith and publicly announcing the church’s “celebrations.” He had been receiving threats for over a year.
Heartbreak: A conspiracy to commit murder (find details and original story here) began with two women who attended the church for over a year and eventually became members (one of whom was baptized) and were welcomed “as family” into the fellowship.
“These people had infiltrated our church and collected information about me, my family and the church and were preparing an attack against us,” said Karaali, 33, a native Turk and a convert to Christianity. “Two of them attended our church for over a year and they were like family.”
Can you feel this man’s anguish… his sense of betrayal? Trust and good faith have been severely compromised in that small church community… whose offense was sharing the love of Jesus.
Miracle: The miracle in this story is that the Turkish Police actually thwarted the plot and protected the pastor and his family. They could have simply let it play itself out and have been rid of him. Stranger things have happened in Turkey. But they didn’t.
Karaali said his treatment at the hands of the police was “exceptional.” The pastor said he has been working with police since January 2012, when he informed them of a death threat he had received. “I received a threat by phone and that’s when the police started to investigate,” Karaali said.
Motivation: Did these women “infiltrate” the church with sabotage in mind? Or, were they genuine inquirers and new converts who were “found out” by family and friends and “turned” by Islamic radicals to become co-conspirators in this murderous plot. We will probably never know – both are real possibilities, but I favor the latter.
Muslim converts to Christianity risk bitter and often deadly opposition from their families and friends. It is not uncommon for people outside the family circle to be brought in as enforcers. No wonder Izmit Protestant Church has only 20 members.
Compulsion: Pastor Karaali is a man “under compusion”… he can’t do anything else.
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” 1 Corinthians 9:16 NASB
Please pray that God will use this murderous conspiracy for good… and that many lives would be saved.
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” Genesis 50.20 NASB
May God bless and protect Pastor Karaali and the Izmit Protestant Church… and strengthen them with the courage of their convictions as this ordeal unfolds.
Police in Turkey say they thwarted an assassination plot against a Christian pastor Tuesday when they arrested 14 suspects, two of whom had been part of his congregation for more than a year.
Emre Karaali, pastor of Izmit Protestant Church and the target of the alleged plot, said two of the arrested suspects were regular members, feigning interest in Christianity. One of them, he said, participated in a baptism in July.
Some of the other suspects also had visited the church, Karaali told World Watch Monitor. He said three of the suspects are women. “These people had infiltrated our church and collected information about me, my family and the church and were preparing an attack against us,” said Karaali, 33, a native Turk and a convert to Christianity. “Two of them attended our church for over a year and they were like family.”
Peanut Gallery: Christian Persecution – Saudi Arabia – #2 (worldwatchlist.us)
Saudi Arabia
There is no provision for religious freedom in the constitution of this Islamic kingdom. All citizens must adhere to Islam and conversion to another religion is punishable by death. Public Christian worship is forbidden; worshippers risk imprisonment, lashing, deportation and torture. Evangelising Muslims and distributing non-Muslim materials is illegal. Muslims who convert to Christianity risk honour killings, and foreign Christian workers have been exposed to abuse from employers. Despite this, converts are responding to Christian TV programmes and to dreams and visions from God.
Anecdotal Report: Rashid (not his real name) is a Saudi Arabian student who attended a Western university and surrendered his life to Christ after his roommate shared the gospel with him.
Excited about his newfound faith, Rashid returned home and shared the good news of Jesus with his loved ones. But he chose a public venue to tell one relative about his decision. A bystander reported Rashid to Saudi religious police, who threw him into jail.
The Peanut Gallery 