Barnabas Aid November/December 2010

HOPE AND AID FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH www.barnabasfund.org

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

IN THIS ISSUE Floods in Pakistan: providing help to destitute Christians The churches of Iran: oppressed by a persecuting regime Where are converts from Islam most at risk?

Welcome from the Director

Contents

3 6 10

Project News Healing wounds and rebuilding lives in East Africa

Focus Aid for suffering Christians in floodstricken Pakistan

Resources DVD and other materials for Suffering Church Sunday

Pull-out Supplement Christian converts from Islam: where are they most at risk?

11 12 14

18

Baby Barnabas and Baby Jesus

Operation Nehemiah Update on Barnabas Fund’s new campaign

Newsroom Elder stabbed and pastor beaten in Indonesia

Country Profile Iranian Christians face a persecuting regime

In Touch

Barnabas gift cards 2010 BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER for your family and friends

“It’s a miracle!” said Hina, a Pakistani Christian, after the birth of her baby son at the height of the flooding crisis in Pakistan earlier this year. Heavily pregnant, Hina had become trapped in her remote flooded village in Punjab Province, and was afraid for the health of the baby to be born in such a dangerous situation. Then Barnabas Fund’s local Pakistani partners arrived to rescue her, along with scores of other Christian families. They took her to safety and, when her labour began, to hospital. Hina’s husband, Aftab, works as a labourer and would have struggled to afford the hospital fees, but Barnabas Fund covered the costs.

To Hina it was a miracle that our partner was there to rescue her, to take her to hospital and provide her with everything she and her baby needed. Hina and Aftab asked where the help had come from.

When they learned it was sent by “Barnabas Fund”, they decided to name their little boy Barnabas.

As the Christmas season approaches, we will begin to focus our thoughts on another baby, far more of a miracle than Baby Barnabas. The birth of Baby Jesus, likewise in difficult though very different

circumstances, was the wonderful miracle of the Virgin Birth (Luke 1:34-35) and the even more wonderful miracle of the Incarnation, of God taking human flesh (John 1:1,14). Mary and Joseph had no need to decide on a name for their baby, because the angel had already told each of them to give Him the name Jesus (Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31), showing that He was born to save His people from their sins.

The birth of a baby should always be a cause for joy and celebration, as a new life comes into the world. Wilson Saraj, Barnabas Fund’s regional co-ordinator for South Asia, met Hina and Aftab while visiting flood-affected families throughout Pakistan and said, “Amid countless scenes of human tragedy and devastation, it was heart-warming to see the joy which this new life – born at such a tumultuous time – has brought to his parents and their community.”

Let us rejoice this Christmas in the birth of our Lord Jesus, the Light of the World, who brings us hope, joy and salvation.

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo International Director

To guard the safety of Christians in hostile environments, names may have been changed or omitted.

Thank you for your understanding.

Front cover: Hina, a Pakistani Christian, with her baby son, Barnabas, who was born at the height of the flooding crisis (see pp 6-9) Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version®.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission for stories and images used in this publication. Barnabas Fund apologises for any errors or omissions and will be grateful for any further information regarding copyright. © Barnabas Fund 2010

Project News These are the pages where we bring you news about some of our recent grants to help our persecuted and suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. It is because of your generosity that we are able to send this help, which means so much to those who face discrimination, harassment and perhaps violence because of their love for the Lord Jesus. Thank you for enabling us to transform their lives. Please pray as you read.

Pakistan: Aid for Flood Victims When catastrophic flooding began in Pakistan in late July, Barnabas sent immediate grants totaling ÂŁ58,080 (US$89,814; â‚Ź69,440) through five Christian partners on the ground to provide aid for Christians affected by the disaster. As international news media later highlighted, Christians and other non-Muslims were being left out of much of the aid distribution through other agencies. So we are very thankful for the quick and generous response of Barnabas Fund supporters that enabled us to help our Christian brothers and sisters as soon as this crisis hit.

At the time of writing we are still waiting for detailed reports from most of our partners, but one has told how he fed 142 Christian families from the village of Rangpur, Punjab.

Stranded by the flood water, they had been rescued by the Pakistani army but deposited in a place where there were no arrangements for feeding flood victims. From 9 to 17 August, our partner gave them three meals a day and after that provided each family with flour, rice, sugar, pulses, clean water, tea, salt, cooking oil, dried milk, dried chillis and soap.

There are now major needs for the longterm rehabilitation of the flood victims.

Please turn to pages 6-9 to find out how you can help, and to read about how Christians who had lost everything found strength in the Lord.

00-634 (Disaster Relief Fund) 41-919 Sponsoring a Pakistani Christian flood victim family

One of the Christians from the flooded village of Rangpur, fed with help from Barnabas BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Project News

Pakistan: Christian Schools for Christian Children A recent report on Pakistan states that, in one constituency, 70% of all government schools are not functioning: 20% of the schools exist only on paper and another 50% have buildings but no teachers. In Pakistan as a whole, about a quarter of the teachers in functioning government schools fail to show up for work on any given day. It is hardly surprising that many Pakistani parents send their children instead to the madrassas (Islamic schools), which give shelter, food, a little general education, and a lot of teaching on Islamic extremism, leading the children into violence.

But where can Christian parents send their children? Of course, they need Christian schools, but there are not enough, and anyway many Christian families are too poor to afford normal school fees.

Now we are making it an urgent priority to provide more school places for Christian children in Pakistan, through a programme of grants for building new schools or adding classrooms to existing ones.

Barnabas Fund has been helping for some years with the running costs of several Christian schools in Pakistan; this enables the schools to offer places to poor Christian children for very low fees. We have also helped with some school building costs.

Ten recent grants totalling £58,456 (US$90,348; €69,918) have helped with the running costs of four Christian schools, building costs of two new schools, extensions for three existing schools, and the purchase of a plot of land for another school to build an extension.

Lord willing, further grants will be made to another seven or eight new school buildings as well as running costs for a further six schools. The total number of Pakistani Christian children being educated with help from Barnabas will then be around 3,266.

Examples of project references 41-499 running costs and land for new classrooms

These children are looking forward to having a Christian school in their own village, built on this land

41-893 two new schools and an extension

Fellowship and Teaching for Iranian Christians

Eritrea: Christian Prisoners and Their Families

A Christian conference can be such a boost for our spiritual life. What encouragement comes from the fellowship, the worship and the teaching! Imagine how much more important a conference is for Christians from a Muslim background who have to endure hardship and persecution, and often cannot meet with other believers Sunday by Sunday.

A recent grant of £7,000 (US$10,800; €8,400) is helping Christians who are held prisoner in Eritrea because of their faith in the Lord Jesus.

Many are held in appalling conditions, some in metal shipping containers, from which they eventually emerge – if they survive – with severely damaged health.

The Lord is bringing many Iranian Muslims to Himself, both within Iran and outside Iran. A grant of £9,600 (US$14,800; €10,603) enabled 120 Farsi (Persian)-speaking Christians to attend a summer Christian conference in a European country.

At this annual event, not only do Iranian Christians find spiritual nourishment and fellowship, but some who live in remote places are able to be baptised at last, to their great joy.

While some participants could cover all their own costs, these

Building a new Christian primary school

120, being mainly students and asylumseekers, could only pay a small percentage.

The grant from Barnabas covered 80% of their needs, including food, accommodation and travel.

Project reference 19-742

Worship at a summer Christian conferen ce for Iranian converts from Islam. Many could attend this spiritually enriching event only beca use of a grant from Barnabas to help with the cost s

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Almost all pastors and church leaders who are not affiliated to the denominations recognised by the government are currently under arrest, reported our project partner in Eritrea when thanking us for this grant. “Any Christian who shares his faith publicly or practises his faith publicly is also arrested indefinitely. We support them through providing medication, food and clothing.” Most prisoners have families who depend on them for their needs; when the breadwinner is in prison the family need help with basics such as food and shelter, so our grant is also used to help them.

After prisoners are released, they are given help with security and health needs.

Project reference 12-863

Project News Tajikistan: Training Brings Hope for Converts Twenty new Christians Project reference 00-113 live in a Christian-run (Convert Fund) drug rehabilitation centre. As former drug addicts and also converts from Islam, they find it very difficult to get employment, but at Baptism: outreach to the centre they are Muslim drug addicts brings learning skills that will many to Christ help them to find jobs.

Ministries like this bring many to Christ in Central Asia. A grant Catering skills will help these converts to of £3,579 (US$5,532; €4,285) helped with get work equipment and running costs for the centre.

Syria: Security for Christian Schools A grant of £15,836 ($24,468; €18,958) has provided a metal security fence for the top of the wall surrounding a Christian middle school and high school in Syria. When the schools were built, the wall was considered sufficient on its own, but now there is concern that extra security is needed to keep the students and buildings safe. Barnabas Fund had previously contributed about 40% of the building costs of the high school.

Project reference 49-686

East Africa: Hospital Fees Paid for Converts Attacked at Baptism Earlier this year, on a secluded part of an East African beach, 18 baptismal candidates and eleven other Christians met together for a baptism ceremony. No one else was in sight, except some distant fishermen far out at sea. Suddenly a crowd of around 100 Muslim men appeared from the nearby bush and began throwing stones, iron bars and bottles at the Christians, then attacking and beating them with pipes and wooden clubs.

After ten minutes the Muslims departed, leaving five of the baptismal candidates lying

bleeding on the sand and other Christians with lesser injuries. A woman was unconscious with a deep cut on her head, while one of the men had a broken arm and had lost two teeth.

Three other people had severe cuts.

Hospital treatment for these five cost £819 (US$1,210; €981), which was covered by a grant from Barnabas Fund.

Project reference 00-345 (Victims of Violence Fund)

“Here Live Faith, Hope & Love” declare the words on the middle school. “Here Live Truth, Light & Peace” says the high school.

Christian schools in Syria are not allowed to have a cross on them, but they are allowed other Christian words or symbols.

Barnabas helped to build the high school and has now provided a security fence for the whole complex, which will be added on top of the wall

Uganda: Rebuilding the Lives of LRA Victims The brutal Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) terrorises the populations of South Sudan, northern Uganda and other nearby countries, with Christians and churches a frequent target. One of their most horrifying tactics is to kidnap children from their families and turn them into ruthless child soldiers. A grant from Barnabas Fund of £8,522 (US$13,165; €10,207) is supporting three Ugandan Christians, who have been trained in appropriate counselling methods, to work for a year with communities of LRA victims and help them to recover from their trauma.

Project reference 56-649

Community counselling with a strong Christian basis is helping to heal Ugandan families devastated by the Lord’s Resistance Army BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

FOCUS: Pakistan Floods

FAITH IN THE FLOODS: HOW YOUR GIFTS BUILD UP FAITH AND HOPE AMONG CHRISTIAN FLOOD VICTIMS “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.” (Psalm 29:10) “When water attacked our house, I watched my parents who were worried and confused. I asked my mother, ‘What is happening?’ She just kissed me and took my hand and told me, ‘Just pray.’ Next day I was hungry and I asked my mother, ‘I am hungry. Shall I go home and bring some food?’ She told me, ‘My son, God will send everything for us. Just pray.’” Little Stephen was too young to comprehend what was happening around them, and that they had been evacuated from their village, leaving everything behind. Thankfully, one of Barnabas Fund’s Christian partners arrived with food parcels for Stephen Jhon and his family the next day.

From the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan to Sindh in the south, hunger, confusion and homelessness afflicted millions of people following the devastating floods earlier this year. The United Nations has described it as the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history.

As people struggle to rebuild their lives, the Christians of Pakistan, already marginalised and discriminated against, are particularly vulnerable. Neglected by many other aid channels, they trust in the Lord and look to their Christian brothers and sisters for help.

“Christians are crying out for help!” said one church leader.

Will you answer their call?* n 5 00 Christian families need non-food items such as soap, cooking utensils, mattresses and pillows. Cost: £80 (US$125; €94) per family.

Stephen Jhon, aged 8, and his mother could do nothing to help themselves after the devastating floods in July 2010; they could only pray. But the Lord answered through Barnabas Fund and provided for their needs

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

n 1 ,000 Christian families have lost their means of livelihood and desperately need help to become self-sufficient again. In Sindh and Punjab, families require £65 (US$102; €77) per acre for seed, fertiliser and ploughing. For those who had shops or small businesses, the estimated cost to help them start up again is £530 (US$830, €623) per family.

On 27 July torrential monsoon rains started in the northern areas of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The continuous rainfall was followed by heavy floods that engulfed towns, villages and cities from Swat valley in the north to Sindh in the south. n More than 17 million people have been affected. n At least 1.2 Million homes were destroyed. n 5 million people are now homeless. n Families lost everything in the flooding and subsequent landslides – livestock, homes and businesses were swept away; dozens of bridges were washed away; roads and rail tracks were submerged.

n 8 0 Christian families need to rebuild their homes completely. A simple brick house consisting of two rooms, a washroom and a veranda, and a concrete block roof will cost £2,500 (US$3,800; €3,000). n 5 50 Christian families need to repair their damaged homes. Estimated cost: £760 (US$1,192; €894) per home.

Your gift to our Disaster Fund will enable Barnabas Fund’s partners on the ground in Pakistan to assist the Christians in need, according to priority, and will strengthen the faith of our brothers and sisters who have lost everything. (Project Reference 00-634) But how will the Christians manage until their homes and livelihoods are re-established? At least 1,000 Christian families will need ongoing, long-term food support while they rebuild their lives. Can you sponsor a family? For just £30 ($45, €35) a month, you can provide the food needs of one floodaffected family while rehabilitation work is carried out.

BARNABAS FUND HELPING THOSE IN NEED In response to the initial emergency, Barnabas Fund quickly stepped in to channel support to Pakistani Christians through local churches and Christian organisations in Pakistan, providing food parcels. These parcels contained such items as rice, flour, * Figures are estimated at the time of writing and may change.

Prices are likely to rise because of post-flood shortages. Numbers of families in need are likely to rise as our partners make contact with more isolated Christian communities.

FOCUS: Pakistan Floods grains, pulses, dry milk, cooking oil, tea, sugar, salt and spices. (Turn to page 3 to read more.)

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province is home to about 100,000 Christian families, many of whom have been left reeling by the devastating floods. In one small town near Peshawar, a group of 45 Christian families had worked laboriously for 25 to 30 years to construct small houses. But in 20 short minutes on 29 July their hard work was swept away. At least twelve families saw their entire homes destroyed by the gushing waters, while the others lost most of their belongings.

As flood water carried away their simple homes, many Christian families had to seek refuge in church buildings and Christian schools. There are very few jobs available since the disaster, making daily wages extremely difficult to find. For those fortunate enough still to have employment, the wages are likely to be so meagre that families will not to be able to afford the deposit to rent accommodation, let alone save up to reconstruct their own homes.

But it is not just homes and possessions that have been lost in the flooding. Across the country, 8.9 million acres of farmland have been ruined by the waters and farmers are concerned that fields will be too waterlogged to sow the winter wheat. An estimated 1.2 million livestock, including cattle used for ploughing, have drowned in the floods. It is also thought that up to a third of the harvest in Sindh, which is known for growing rice, sugar cane, vegetables, citrus fruit and pulses, has been spoilt.

COURTYARD

BEDROOM

BEDROOM

KITCHEN

VERANDAH

BATH LAWN

FLOOR PLAN

The basic design of a new house for Christian families who lost their homes in the flooding

Christian families like this one could do nothing but watch as their homes were levelled by gushing waters in the recent flooding in Pakistan Receiving aid in this time of national crisis shows our Christian brothers and sisters how much we care, and serves to strengthen their faith. Turn to pages 8 and 9 to read testimonies of how eight Pakistani Christian families have been affected by the floods.

To help restore and rebuild the lives of Christian families who lost everything in the flooding, please fill out the form on the inside back cover of this magazine or contact your nearest Barnabas office (address details on back cover).

“Despite

this suffering and agony I was moved by the strong faith of these homeless people.”

Barnabas Fund’s coordinator for South Asia visited Pakistan following the flooding to see how we could help our Christian brothers and sisters.

WHO WILL HELP THE CHRISTIANS? Christians in Pakistan live in great poverty, despised by their Muslim neighbours and suffering widespread social and political discrimination; the disastrous flooding has worsened their already precarious position.

The Pakistani government was criticised for its ineffective response at the beginning of the flooding crisis, and international support was also slow to arrive.

On 26 August, Pakistani national newspaper Dawn reported that flood victims were being refused shelter and discriminated against in the distribution of healthcare and aid because of their ethnicity, caste or religion (http://bit.ly/af7RHG). Concern was also specifically expressed over the treatment of Christians in the distribution of aid; one local volunteer reported, “The Christian refugees are

often ... not identified and registered. Thus, they are automatically excluded from any health care or food, as they supposedly do not exist.”

Bishop Humphrey Peters of the Church of Pakistan’s Diocese of Peshawar (in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province) said, “We are sure that some countries will come forward with aid packages, but hardly anything will reach the minority Christians.”

Yunis Lal Din, leader of the Fellowship of Brethren Churches in Pakistan, told Barnabas Fund on 5 August: “Many Christians were already in poor circumstances and are now doubly affected and do not know where to find help.” He praised Barnabas for being so quick to send funds for Christians, right at the beginning of the crisis.

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

FOCUS: Pakistan Floods

Trusting the Lord Stories of Christian Flood Victims in Pakistan “It’s a miracle!” was Those were the words of a new mother whose first baby Hina an. born at the height of the flooding crisis in Pakist e Gull and her husband, Aftab Masih, named their bundl from ed of joy “Barnabas” because of the help they receiv Barnabas Fund before, during and after his delivery.

Our local partner helped to rescue heavily pregnant Hina, who, along with scores of other Christian families, was stranded in the remote village of Rangpur Khare, d.

Muzaffargarh, in Punjab Province when the area floode was and She went into labour just days after the evacuation taken to Rangpur District Hospital by our partner.

Aftab is a labourer, and because the couple would have struggled to afford the high hospital costs, Barnabas Fund covered these expenses.

The newborn, who weighed a healthy 7lb 11oz (3.5kg), is doing well.

Kamal Masih (30), of Tarnab, is married with four children and survives on a monthly income of just £39 (US$60; €47).

Floodwaters had half destroyed their small house, where he had lived for decades. The belongings the family left behind were stolen by local Muslims. Despite their sufferings, Kamal is continuing to trust in the Lord.

He said, “All these blessings were given by God, I am happy that my wife and children are safe. I just pray that God will grant me the strength to rebuild my house and continue the schooling of my children.”

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Marry Daniels (23) and her family, who live in Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, lost their home and belongings in the floods – but they have not lost their faith in the God who watches over His people.

Marry described the moment the waters hit: “Initially we moved our belongings to higher ground, but the water was sharply rising, and we got worried and started crying. My cousins had already left the house. I told my mum, ‘Let’s leave.’ I was crying and the water level reached more than four feet. My mother and I left the house, and all the time I was telling my mother, ‘We will drown, we are going to die.’

“But my mother recited Psalm 23 for me and held me close to her. I thank my mum for her strong faith that encouraged me to walk along with her in deep dirty water. I thank God for keeping my family safe.

I will never forget this experience of how God saved me and my mother from the clutches of death as long as I live.”

“I was happy to help my uncle in the time of his need.”

This 12-year-old boy with bare feet, small hands and a servant heart came to help his uncle clear up the muddy mess left behind when the floodwaters poured into his house in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

There were not many people to help young Waqar’s uncle Yousaf Masih, and the school boy – who wants to be a civil engineer in the future – gladly volunteered for the grim task.

FOCUS: Pakistan Floods

as the Waters Rise Youngster Nadia Joseph feared she would never see her parents again when they were separated during a frantic evacuation from their village. She described the scene as “busy and confused”, with people running around shouting. Nadia’s friends left the village, and she was stranded until nightfall waiting for her parents.

Nobody came to Nadia’s rescue until Barnabas Fund’s local partner found her and took her to the relief camp, which her parents had already reached. Nadia said that at one point she had lost hope of ever seeing her parents again, adding, “But the messenger of God came for our help. Many people met each other in the camp as I met with my parents.”

“On my present salary, even in 50 years I cannot rebuild my house.”

Joseph Bashir (38) had to flee his lifelong home near the Kabul River in the city of Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, when the floodwaters began pouring in on 29 July.

He carried his six children, aged between one and eight, and his paralysed father to the road wondering where to turn for help. The Bashirs – the only Christian family in the area – found shelter in a relief camp set up by Barnabas Fund partners. Like thousands of Christian families made homeless by the floods, they are contemplating how they will ever begin to rebuild their lives.

“I don’t know what the future holds for my family.”

When Rashid Masih’s house in Kot Addu was flooded with six feet of water, his family – like so many others – could save only their lives. Their meagre belongings were destroyed by the waters, leaving them with nothing. Rashid’s daughter Tahira was due to get married in November, but because they lost the dowry – an important part of the marriage arrangement in Pakistan – the wedding is unlikely to go ahead. Rashid, who had worked hard to provide for his daughter’s marriage, said that the flood had left them with nothing in a matter of minutes. He added: “It took me so many years to build my household; now I don’t know what the future holds for my family.”

“God gave this to me and He took it from me, I do not blame God. God took away everything from Job but later He blessed him as well. I trust God will bless me again.”

Younis Masih (59) of Tarnab near Peshawar toiled for around 25 years to construct his own house. It stood just 20 feet from the river bank and collapsed under the strain of the gushing floodwaters. Younis said he has never seen a catastrophe of this magnitude and, at his age, can hardly imagine rebuilding and re-furnishing his home when his monthly income merely covers basic household expenses.

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

Resources NEW BOOK Tainted Legacy: Islam, Colonialism and Slavery in Northern Nigeria Yusufu Turaki Thousands of Christians have died in violent attacks by Muslims in Nigeria in the last few years. In the North of the country Christians are a small and vulnerable minority, and in 12 northern states Islamic sharia is the main source of law. Some Islamists there are calling for an Islamic state to be established.

In this important new book Professor Yusufu Turaki traces the roots of the current crisis to the effects of Islam on Northern Nigerian society through the centuries. He describes the Muslim practices of colonialism and slavery in West Africa, and how their influence was reinforced by British colonialists. He also shows how they have left a tainted legacy of discrimination and

cruelty to the Christians of Northern Nigeria.

“Anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the role of Islam in Africa and its impact on the slave trade needs to read this important book, but also it speaks into some of the difficult issues we see in the world today.”

Malcolm L. McGregor, SIM International Director Yusufu Turaki is a Professor of Theology and Social Ethics at the Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Religion, Church and Society (CRCS).

Isaac Publishing, paperback.

Offer price £9.99 plus £2.00 postage

To order this book, please visit www.barnabasfund.org/shop. Alternatively please contact your nearest Barnabas office (addresses on back cover). Cheques for the UK should be made payable to “Barnabas Books”.

“Be on Your Guard” – Suffering Church Sunday 2010-11

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

The Barnabas Fund Distinctive The “Barna

10

■ Prayer-and-response cards, including a prayer for Suffering Church Sunday and a response form, for distribution to everyone in your congregation ■ Sermon outline on John 15:18 – 16:4, “If the World Hates You” (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010) ■ Bible study on John 15:18 – 16:4, “Facing Hostility for Christ” (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010) ■ Timeline showing a selection of incidents of persecution throughout history (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010) ■ Testimony from a young Christian woman caught up in anti-Christian violence in Orissa, India (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010)

Fund What helps make Barnabas tive” bas Fund distincDistinc tive from other Christian organisations that deal w ith persecution?

■ inform and enable C hristians in the West to respond to the growin g challenge of Islam to Church, society and mission in their own countries ■ facilitate global inter cession for the persecuted Church by pr oviding comprehensive prayer m aterials

WE BELIEVE:

Prayer for the Suffering Church

BE ON YOUR GUARD

SUFFERING CHURCH SUNDAY 2010 – 2011

Preparing for Persecution Your Response I/We would like to receive regular news and prayer information about the persecuted Church

Our Father in heaven, We give you thanks and praise that You revealed Yourself to us in Your Son and drew us to Yourself. We pray for those who endure discrimination and persecution, violence and injustice for the sake of Your Holy Name. We pray that you will grant them daily strength to persevere in the hardships they may face.

We pray for those who seek to persecute Your children, that they will turn their eyes to You and come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

■ DVD “Be on Your Guard”. This contains an 8-minute testimony from a young Christian woman who was born in the Gambia and raised a Muslim. She shares the story of her journey to faith in the Lord Jesus and some of the trials she has faced in her life so far.

Also included on the DVD: - The words (including a PowerPoint) and music for “Broken Bones for Jesus”, a new song by a Barnabas Fund staff member, and recorded versions with and without accompanying vocals - A PowerPoint presentation to accompany the sermon outline (see below) - All these items may also be downloaded individually.

■ A3 poster (approx. 300x420 mm) to advertise your church service or meeting

WE WORK BY:

■ acting as equal partn ers with the persecuted Church, who se leaders often help shape our overall di rection ■ acting on behalf of th e persecuted Church, to be their voice – making their needs known to Christia ns around the world and the injustice o f their persecution known to go vernments and international bodies

WE SEEK TO: ■ m e e t b o t h p r a c t i c a l a nd spiritual needs ■ encourage, strengthe n and enable the existing local Church and Christian communities – so they c an maintain their presence and witness ra ther than setting up our own structures or sending out missionaries

tthew 25:40)

■ w e a r e c a l l ed t o a dd ress both religious and secular ideologies t hat deny full religious liberty to Chris tian minorities – while continuing to sh ow God’s love to all people ■ in the clear Biblical teaching that Christians should treat a ll people of all faiths with love an d compassion, even those who seek to persecute them ■ in the power of pray er to change people’s lives and situa tions, either t hr o u g h g r a c e t o e n d u r e or through deliverance from sufferi ng

ine, you did for me.” (Ma

■ tackle persecution a t its root by making known the aspects of th e Islamic faith and other ideologies tha t result in injustice and oppression of non-believers

of the least of these brot hers of m

The following resources are available either to download or to order free of charge from our online shop www.barnabasfund.org/scs or your national Barnabas Fund office (addresses on back cover).

■ directing our aid only to Christians, although its benefits ma y not be exclusive t o t h e m ( “ A s w e have opportunity, let us do go od to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Ga latians 6:10, emphasis added) ■ aiming the majority o f our aid at Christians living in Musli m environments ■ channelling money f rom Christians through Christians to Ch ristians ■ channelling money t hrough existing structures in the c o u n t r ies where funds are sent (e.g. local churc hes or Christian organisati o n s ) ■ using the money to f und projects that have been develope d by local Christians in their own c ommunities, countries or regions ■ considering any requ est, however small

“Whatever you did for one

This year’s Suffering Church Sunday resources focus on the need for Christians to be prepared for persecution. We invite your church or fellowship to choose a Sunday in November (or another month in the next year if this suits you better) to remember those members of our Christian family in other parts of the world for whom persecution is part of their regular experience. It is also an opportunity for you and your church to prepare yourselves to face the serious challenges that confront Christians in the West.

We pray too for ourselves. Lord, we know that we are not immune to mockery, harassment and even persecution for Christ. Should we find ourselves suffering because of our faith in You, we ask that You will enable us to stand firm in all our trials. May we know that You are with us and that You are always faithful to your people.

for the

Please find enclosed our/my gift of suffering church to be used: Where it is most needed To support Christians suffering through violence To help Christians support themselves by starting up a small business To support Christian pastors and evangelists To help feed our persecuted brothers and sisters To help Christian children to get a Christian education Name: Address:

In Jesus’ Name Amen Postcode: UK

Australia

New Zealand

9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 From outside the UK Telephone +44 24 7623 1923 Fax +44 24 7683 4718 Email info@barnabasfund.org Registered Charity Number 1092935 Company Registered in England Number 4029536

Postal Suite 107 236 Hyperdome, Loganholme QLD 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org

PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City, Manukau, 2241 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz

Jersey Le Jardin, La Rue A Don, Grouville, Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GB Telephone 700600 Fax 700601 Email bfjersey@barnabasfund.org

Telephone: Email: Name of church:

USA 6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101 Telephone (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525 Fax (703) 288-1682 Email usa@barnabasaid.org

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10

International Headquarters The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org

Please tear off and send to your nearest Barnabas office with you gift

SCS 08/10

■ “Persecution in the New Testament” What is its teaching? (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010) ■ “What is persecution?” Its forms, contexts and sources (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010) ■ Prayer, suggested songs and how your church can support persecuted Christians (in Barnabas Aid Sept/Oct 2010)

Pull-out supplement

For those who convert from Islam to Christianity their decision to follow Christ is a costly one. They may face many kinds of persecution.

In its core texts Islam prescribes a range of severe punishments for any of its adherents who choose to leave their faith. Sharia law requires the death penalty for adult men who leave Islam, and some schools of law require it for women too. Although this punishment is rarely written into national law or carried out officially by the government, many converts (apostates) still live in fear of violent and fatal reprisals from their families and communities, or mysterious murders that may have been organised by the authorities.

Even when converts’ lives are not threatened, they often lose their spouses and children, their homes and their jobs. They may be arrested, tortured or imprisoned, sometimes on another pretext, but really as a punishment for leaving Islam. Moreover, apostasy is a cause of deep offence to many ordinary Muslims, who see it as betrayal of the Muslim community and may harass converts relentlessly, making it impossible for them to live a normal life.

These very common forms of persecution are supplemented in some countries by more unusual ones specific to particular cultures. For example, in the Maldives the 2008 constitution declared that a non-Muslim could not become a citizen, raising the possibility that converts would be stripped of their citizenship and with it the protection of the law.

But although apostates may face danger in any Muslim context, the risks are much greater in some countries than in others.

CONVERT DANGER INDEX Barnabas Fund has recently carried out a survey of 24 Muslimmajority countries to discover where in the Muslim world converts from Islam are most under threat. We have ranked each country according to the risks faced by its converts. The survey also highlights the different types of problems that converts encounter in different contexts1.

CREATING THE SURVEY The ranking system we have created focuses upon two key areas: the legal structure of Muslim countries and the actual incidents of persecution suffered by converts. We have given each country a score in each of these areas, and then added the two scores together. The higher the score a country has, the worse it is considered to be for converts from Islam.

First, the legal threats to converts were analysed by looking at the laws that can be used against them in different countries.

Important here is the role of sharia. Some Muslim countries make sharia one of several sources of law, while others make it the main source. Under sharia the punishment for leaving Islam is death. Even though this punishment is rarely enforced officially, it is written into the legal codes of some Muslim countries and influences attitudes in their societies. While most Muslim countries have subscribed to international treaties that protect religious freedom, such as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, many of them consider sharia more important than such treaties, making the treaties virtually useless.

The ranking system also takes into account many other legal factors that affect converts’ lives. These include prohibitions on worshipping freely and and meeting together, prohibitions on evangelism and the production of religious literature, and limitations on converts’ changing their religious status in law from Islam to Christianity, which in turn impacts on their freedom to go to church, to marry a Christian, and their children’s freedom to inherit.

The ranking also reflects how strongly certain norms of Islamic behaviour (for example, regarding dress or education) are legally enforced, as converts often find life harder if they are in an environment where the population is legally obligated to adopt these norms. Finally, it acknowledges positively the legal rights to change one’s religion and to propagate religions other than Islam that exist in (relatively few) Muslim countries.

Christian Converts from Islam: where are they most at risk?

CHRISTIAN CONVERTS FROM ISLAM: WHERE ARE THEY MOST AT RISK?

However, the laws of Muslim countries provide only half the picture.

To complete it we need also to focus on the actual incidents of persecution that converts face, because it is these that impact most directly upon their lives. It is possible for a country to have lenient laws but for converts to experience much persecution from society or even from officials acting outside the law. We have graded such incidents according to severity: official executions by government are ranked as the most severe, followed by unofficial murders of converts, and then by imprisonment, fines and other forms of harassment. The incidents are also graded by how frequently they have occurred in particular countries over the last three years, relative to the number of converts in that country: regular occurrences are treated as more significant than occasional ones.

1 The following countries were omitted from the survey owing to lack of data or other reasons: Albania, Bahrain, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Gambia, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Niger, Oman, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, United Arab Emirates.

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

i

Christian Converts from Islam: where are they most at risk?

Pull-out supplement 8. Egypt There is no law in Egypt against apostasy, but Christianconverts often face harassmentandseverepressurefrom the authorities and from society and cannot change the religion shown on their identity cards from Islam to Christianity.In2009Maherel-Gohary was refused permission to have his cardamended,andsincethenheand hisdaughterhavebothbeenforbidden toleavethecountryandsubjectedto physical assault.

24 23

17

14 4

21

20 10

8

19

13 16 2 12

3

22

9 5

7

9. Mauritania Mauritania is governed by sharia.

ConversionfromIslamisforbidden, and apostasy is punishable by death, although the penalty has notbeenimposedinrecentyears.

The Christian population is a tiny proportion of the whole, and almost all of them are expatriates ratherthanMauritanianconverts.

Converts have to practise their faith in secret for fear of legal or communal reprisals.

ii

3. Saudi Arabia Saudi law is based on sharia, which prescribes the death penalty for apostates, so the small number of Saudi Christians have to practise their faith in secret. In 2008 Fatima Al-Mutairi had her tongue cut out and was burnedtodeathbyherfamily when they discovered that shehadconvertedfromIslam to Christianity.

18

11

2. Afghanistan Most Afghan Muslims believethatdeathisthe appropriatepunishment for conversion from Islam. Abdul Rahman was charged with apostasy in 2006, and Muslim clerics led calls for his execution.

Eventually he was freed but had to leave the country. In June 2010 two converts were pilloried on national television: a seniorpoliticiancalledfortheirexecution, and the president has promised action to prevent further conversions. Over 20 AfghanChristianswerearrestedfollowing the broadcast.

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

1

6

7. Sudan (North) The South of Sudan is predominantly Christian,buttheNorthismainlyMuslim, andshariaisinforce there. Converts from Islam face violence from their families andpersecutionbytheauthorities.When Alladin Omer Ajjabna Mohammed was chargedwithapostasy,hewasprevented fromleavingthecountry,tortured,injected

6. Comoros Only a few hundred converts from Islam are known to live in the Comoros, although there may also be many secret believers. Apostasy is prohibited by the country’s penal code. Comoran Christians have discrimination and harassment.

There is concern that Islamic radicalismisincreasing,threatening astricterinterpretationofsharialaw.

Pull-out supplement

4. Iran Converts from Islam are persecuted more severely than other Christians in Iran, and arrests and detentions are common. The authorities try to intimidate the converts into abandoningtheirfaithorleavingthe country. In 2005 Ghorban Tori, a convert who had converted other Muslims, was kidnapped by the security forces, and soon afterwards he was found stabbed to death.

Convert and church leader Hossein Soodmandwasaccusedofapostasyin 1990 and was executed by hanging.

CONVERT DANGER INDEX 1

Somalia

225

2

Afghanistan

219

3

Saudi Arabia

210

4

Iran

193

5

Yemen

159

6

Comoros

156

7

Sudan (North)

150

8

Egypt

143

9

Mauritania

129

10

Algeria

117

11

Morocco

105

12

Pakistan

98

13

Uzbekistan

96

14

Turkmenistan

91

15

Indonesia

81

16

Tajikistan

77

17

Tunisia

63

18

Turkey

60

19

Kyrgyzstan

57

20

Jordan

56

21

Iraq

53

22

Bangladesh

48

23

Syria

32

24

Azerbaijan

28

Christian Converts from Islam: where are they most at risk?

This table and map show 24 Muslim-majority countries ranked on how they treat Christian converts from Islam, according to the overall ranking devised by Barnabas Fund.

15

1. Somalia Converts in Somalia live ingreaterperilthanmost.

Manyhavebeenmurdered

by Muslim radicals. In 2008 David Abdulwahab Mohamed Ali was killed by his cousin and members of the militant group al-Shabaab whenheacknowledgedtothemthathewas afollowerofChrist.Thekillingofconvertshas continued to the present time.

5. Yemen In Yemen apostasy is punishable by execution. In 2000 Muhammad Haj Omar was sentenced to death by a Yemeni court for his conversion to Christianity, and only after an international outcry was he deported instead. Although there are no recent reports of the death penalty being carried out, Christian converts face arrest, torture and murder by the

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

iii

Country Profile

Guidance often attend services. Permits are required for many activities and are not always granted. Church leaders in particular are subject to intense surveillance, and some even have their phones tapped.

Congregations are required to register with the authorities, to compile and submit membership lists for them, and to inform them before admitting new people. Their members have to carry membership cards and provide photocopies of these to the government.

Worshippers are subject to identity checks outside church buildings, and some churches are allowed to hold services only on Sundays.

It is illegal to conduct church services and Bible studies in Farsi, the language of the Muslim majority in Iran. This means that while members of the historic churches are allowed to worship in their own languages, converts from Islam, who are Farsi-speakers, cannot do so.

Sharing one’s faith with Muslims is strictly prohibited, and Christians can be put under extreme pressure to reveal the names of any Muslims to whom they have spoken about their faith. Some church leaders are pressured by the authorities to sign pledges saying that they will not evangelise or baptise Muslims or even allow them to attend church services. Such pledges can be a condition for the issuing of government licences for ministry. Muslims are discouraged from even entering Christian premises.

Many conversions from Islam to Christianity have resulted from satellite television and radio broadcasts. The government has responded by putting up towers in major cities to jam signals and controlling telephone lines to Christian

16

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

television programmes. The main telecommunications company was recently bought by the Revolutionary Guards.

churches in Iran has happened in response to this persecution to provide a way for Muslim converts to worship.

Sometimes the government refuses applications for the construction of new church buildings or forces existing ones to be closed. Christian training centres and other institutions have also been shut. A ban is in place on the publishing or importing of scriptures and Christian literature, and it is an offence even to possess or sell a Bible.

Apostasy from Islam is seen by many Muslims as equivalent to treason, and all schools of Islamic law specify the death sentence for adult male converts from Islam. The connection between conversion and treason has been reinforced recently by the government’s linking of converts with the West and Israel. At a time of international tension this poses a significant risk to them.

Attacks on leaders Since the 1979 revolution a number of prominent Christian leaders have been violently attacked, and several have been murdered. It is alleged that at least some of the assassinations were carried out by a death squad operating within the security services and acting on orders from the highest level. There was a spate of such killings in the 1990s, though more recently these have become rarer.

But leaders remain in danger, especially those who are involved in ministry among Muslims or who lead convert churches – especially if they are converts themselves.

Those who refuse to collaborate with the secret police are threatened with arrest, indefinite detention and even death.

Persecution of converts Converts from Islam to Christianity are persecuted more harshly than other Christians in Iran. Converts are the primary target of the Iranian authorities. For this reason they cannot participate openly in Christian worship, and many choose to keep their faith secret. The growth of house

But according to the 1989 Iranian constitution, judges must make their judgments first on the basis of Iranian law; only in cases where Iranian law has nothing to say are they directed to use authoritative Islamic sources and authentic fatwas. Thus far Iranian judges have been able to impose the death penalty in apostasy cases only on this second basis, not on that of Iranian law.

There have been no reported executions of converts since the hanging of Hossein Soodmand in 1990.

But in September 2008 the Iranian parliament gave provisional approval to a bill that mandates the death penalty for (male) apostasy as part of Iranian law. In June 2009 a committee of the parliament recommended removing this provision from the bill, but no further news has been received since then. If it were passed into law, converts to Christianity would be in greater danger of judicial execution.

Even without this ultimate sanction, however, the Iranian authorities have effective means of persecuting converts.

In recent years there have been numerous reports of their systematic arrest and indefinite detention.

Country Profile

Converts still persecuted in Mashhad 1989 he was arrested and charged with apostasy and insulting Islam by his own conversion and his efforts to convert other Muslims, and with allegedly being an American spy. A Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death.

Hossein Soodmand, a Christian convert from Islam, was charged with apostasy and other “crimes” and executed in 1990 On 3 December 1990 Hossein Soodmand was executed by hanging in the Iranian city of Mashhad. He converted from Islam to Christianity in 1964 and acted as a pastor and evangelist in a local church. In

Although charges are rarely pressed as far as conviction and sentencing, the authorities’ tactic appears designed to intimidate the Christians into either abandoning their new faith or fleeing the country. In this hostile environment the conversion of so many Iranian Muslims to Christianity is all the more remarkable – and even greater ground for thanksgiving.

For many years the Iranian government has also been threatening Iranian converts to Christianity outside the country. Then in September 2008 the Iranian parliament gave it the authority to reach beyond the borders in pursuit of Iranians who have left Islam. Converts have been harassed even in the West.

Storm clouds gathering Under its hard-line president, and with its barely disguised ambitions to become a nuclear power, Iran has become a serious threat to the stability of the Middle East.

Twenty years later, converts from Islam are still being persecuted in Mashhad. On 18 July 2010 a bus carrying 15 newlyconverted Christians was forced to stop by government security forces in the city. The group were on their way to a provincial town to spend time with fellow believers

there. The Christians were all arrested and held for a week and were subjected to harsh interrogation. Though most were then released, three of those arrested, Stephen Reza (48), his wife Maria and Ehsan Behrooz (23), remain in detention at the time of writing.

A mosque in Mashhad, where a group of Christian converts from Islam was detained in July (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Western governments are currently considering their options for containing this threat, and it seems that military action of some kind is a real possibility.

Western intervention in Iraq and the internal strife that followed it have been disastrous for the churches, with vast numbers of believers displaced within the country or forced to become refugees elsewhere, and many killed in savage outbreaks of anti-Christian violence. Their tragic story suggests that if similar action is taken against Iran – whether justified or not – the consequences for the Iranian churches are likely to be enormous. And if there is indeed a backlash against Christians, converts from Islam will suffer the most.

Please pray for strength and courage for our brothers and sisters in Iran, that they may be protected from harm and stand firm in their faith in the face of persecution and an uncertain future.

Barnabas Fund’s support for Iranian Christians Barnabas Fund is assisting with a number of projects that help Iranian Christians, but we cannot usually publicise what we are doing in case it puts them at risk. If you would like to support this work, you may like to send a donation to the Iran General Fund (project reference 19-940) which will be distributed between the various projects.

Turn to page 4 to read about a project supporting Iranian Christians that we have been able to publicise.

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

17

In Touch

Christmas Cards to Support Barnabas With this edition of Barnabas Aid we are enclosing a form to order packs of Christmas cards by post. Barnabas Fund has partnered with Just Cards Direct, a Christian organisation that supports the work of Christian aid agencies. They import and sell handmade greeting cards from Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa as well as printed cards from around the world.

You can purchase these cards using this form or online at www.justcardsdirect.com. Simply select “Barnabas Fund” on their website at the payment stage and we will receive 10% of the proceeds from all sales.

Barnabas Goes Direct

You may have noticed that some of our donation forms have changed. Barnabas Fund has taken the decision to move from Standing Orders to Direct Debits, as they are more efficient and cheaper for us to process. If you already have a Standing Order with us, you do not need to worry; we will not be making any changes to existing orders. However, if you would like to set up a regular gift to Barnabas Fund, please complete the new Direct Debit form on the inside back cover.

My Devotional Journal Have you ordered your copy of the Barnabas Fund year journal? This valuable devotional resource has pages for you to record your thoughts and reflections throughout the months, as well as uplifting Bible verses and short testimonies, prayers and poems from Christians around the world who have drawn closer to the Lord through trials and suffering.

My Devotional Journal can both encourage you in your own spiritual journey and make an ideal present for your Christian friends. It is available now at the special offer price of £5 (plus £2 P&P). Please contact your nearest Barnabas Fund office to order your copy.

Supporting Barnabas as an Alternative Christmas Present Supporting a Barnabas Fund project as a gift for a friend or relative is a valuable means of resourcing vital ministries. Why not do this as an alternative Christmas present for your loved ones this year?

If you choose to support a Barnabas Fund project, we can supply you with an attractive “Thank you” card, which you can send to the person on whose behalf you have made the donation.

Please fill in the details as you would like them to appear on the card. Please write clearly.

If you would like to have the card sent directly to the recipient, or if you would prefer to receive blank cards and fill them out yourself, please contact your A national office (address details on back cover).

If you would like more cards, please photocopy this page and send it with your donation.

18

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

“Dear __________________________

“Dear __________________________

A gift of £_______ has been received on your behalf from __________________

A gift of £_______ has been received on your behalf from __________________

This gift will assist Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

With many thanks on behalf of the persecuted Church”

This gift will assist Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

With many thanks on behalf of the persecuted Church”

Tick here if you do not want the amount to be stated on the card Tick here if you do wish details about the project to be included on the card Please state your preferred card choice (see below): _______

Tick here if you do not want the amount to be stated on the card Tick here if you do wish details about the project to be included on the card Please state your preferred card choice (see below): _______

B

C

D

Country Profile

Guidance often attend services. Permits are required for many activities and are not always granted. Church leaders in particular are subject to intense surveillance, and some even have their phones tapped.

Congregations are required to register with the authorities, to compile and submit membership lists for them, and to inform them before admitting new people. Their members have to carry membership cards and provide photocopies of these to the government.

Worshippers are subject to identity checks outside church buildings, and some churches are allowed to hold services only on Sundays.

It is illegal to conduct church services and Bible studies in Farsi, the language of the Muslim majority in Iran. This means that while members of the historic churches are allowed to worship in their own languages, converts from Islam, who are Farsi-speakers, cannot do so.

Sharing one’s faith with Muslims is strictly prohibited, and Christians can be put under extreme pressure to reveal the names of any Muslims to whom they have spoken about their faith. Some church leaders are pressured by the authorities to sign pledges saying that they will not evangelise or baptise Muslims or even allow them to attend church services. Such pledges can be a condition for the issuing of government licences for ministry. Muslims are discouraged from even entering Christian premises.

Many conversions from Islam to Christianity have resulted from satellite television and radio broadcasts. The government has responded by putting up towers in major cities to jam signals and controlling telephone lines to Christian

16

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

television programmes. The main telecommunications company was recently bought by the Revolutionary Guards.

churches in Iran has happened in response to this persecution to provide a way for Muslim converts to worship.

Sometimes the government refuses applications for the construction of new church buildings or forces existing ones to be closed. Christian training centres and other institutions have also been shut. A ban is in place on the publishing or importing of scriptures and Christian literature, and it is an offence even to possess or sell a Bible.

Apostasy from Islam is seen by many Muslims as equivalent to treason, and all schools of Islamic law specify the death sentence for adult male converts from Islam. The connection between conversion and treason has been reinforced recently by the government’s linking of converts with the West and Israel. At a time of international tension this poses a significant risk to them.

Attacks on leaders Since the 1979 revolution a number of prominent Christian leaders have been violently attacked, and several have been murdered. It is alleged that at least some of the assassinations were carried out by a death squad operating within the security services and acting on orders from the highest level. There was a spate of such killings in the 1990s, though more recently these have become rarer.

But leaders remain in danger, especially those who are involved in ministry among Muslims or who lead convert churches – especially if they are converts themselves.

Those who refuse to collaborate with the secret police are threatened with arrest, indefinite detention and even death.

Persecution of converts Converts from Islam to Christianity are persecuted more harshly than other Christians in Iran. Converts are the primary target of the Iranian authorities. For this reason they cannot participate openly in Christian worship, and many choose to keep their faith secret. The growth of house

But according to the 1989 Iranian constitution, judges must make their judgments first on the basis of Iranian law; only in cases where Iranian law has nothing to say are they directed to use authoritative Islamic sources and authentic fatwas. Thus far Iranian judges have been able to impose the death penalty in apostasy cases only on this second basis, not on that of Iranian law.

There have been no reported executions of converts since the hanging of Hossein Soodmand in 1990.

But in September 2008 the Iranian parliament gave provisional approval to a bill that mandates the death penalty for (male) apostasy as part of Iranian law. In June 2009 a committee of the parliament recommended removing this provision from the bill, but no further news has been received since then. If it were passed into law, converts to Christianity would be in greater danger of judicial execution.

Even without this ultimate sanction, however, the Iranian authorities have effective means of persecuting converts.

In recent years there have been numerous reports of their systematic arrest and indefinite detention.

Country Profile

Converts still persecuted in Mashhad 1989 he was arrested and charged with apostasy and insulting Islam by his own conversion and his efforts to convert other Muslims, and with allegedly being an American spy. A Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death.

Hossein Soodmand, a Christian convert from Islam, was charged with apostasy and other “crimes” and executed in 1990 On 3 December 1990 Hossein Soodmand was executed by hanging in the Iranian city of Mashhad. He converted from Islam to Christianity in 1964 and acted as a pastor and evangelist in a local church. In

Although charges are rarely pressed as far as conviction and sentencing, the authorities’ tactic appears designed to intimidate the Christians into either abandoning their new faith or fleeing the country. In this hostile environment the conversion of so many Iranian Muslims to Christianity is all the more remarkable – and even greater ground for thanksgiving.

For many years the Iranian government has also been threatening Iranian converts to Christianity outside the country. Then in September 2008 the Iranian parliament gave it the authority to reach beyond the borders in pursuit of Iranians who have left Islam. Converts have been harassed even in the West.

Storm clouds gathering Under its hard-line president, and with its barely disguised ambitions to become a nuclear power, Iran has become a serious threat to the stability of the Middle East.

Twenty years later, converts from Islam are still being persecuted in Mashhad. On 18 July 2010 a bus carrying 15 newlyconverted Christians was forced to stop by government security forces in the city. The group were on their way to a provincial town to spend time with fellow believers

there. The Christians were all arrested and held for a week and were subjected to harsh interrogation. Though most were then released, three of those arrested, Stephen Reza (48), his wife Maria and Ehsan Behrooz (23), remain in detention at the time of writing.

A mosque in Mashhad, where a group of Christian converts from Islam was detained in July (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Western governments are currently considering their options for containing this threat, and it seems that military action of some kind is a real possibility.

Western intervention in Iraq and the internal strife that followed it have been disastrous for the churches, with vast numbers of believers displaced within the country or forced to become refugees elsewhere, and many killed in savage outbreaks of anti-Christian violence. Their tragic story suggests that if similar action is taken against Iran – whether justified or not – the consequences for the Iranian churches are likely to be enormous. And if there is indeed a backlash against Christians, converts from Islam will suffer the most.

Please pray for strength and courage for our brothers and sisters in Iran, that they may be protected from harm and stand firm in their faith in the face of persecution and an uncertain future.

Barnabas Fund’s support for Iranian Christians Barnabas Fund is assisting with a number of projects that help Iranian Christians, but we cannot usually publicise what we are doing in case it puts them at risk. If you would like to support this work, you may like to send a donation to the Iran General Fund (project reference 19-940) which will be distributed between the various projects.

Turn to page 4 to read about a project supporting Iranian Christians that we have been able to publicise.

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

17

In Touch

Christmas Cards to Support Barnabas With this edition of Barnabas Aid we are enclosing a form to order packs of Christmas cards by post. Barnabas Fund has partnered with Just Cards Direct, a Christian organisation that supports the work of Christian aid agencies. They import and sell handmade greeting cards from Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa as well as printed cards from around the world.

You can purchase these cards using this form or online at www.justcardsdirect.com. Simply select “Barnabas Fund” on their website at the payment stage and we will receive 10% of the proceeds from all sales.

Barnabas Goes Direct

You may have noticed that some of our donation forms have changed. Barnabas Fund has taken the decision to move from Standing Orders to Direct Debits, as they are more efficient and cheaper for us to process. If you already have a Standing Order with us, you do not need to worry; we will not be making any changes to existing orders. However, if you would like to set up a regular gift to Barnabas Fund, please complete the new Direct Debit form on the inside back cover.

My Devotional Journal Have you ordered your copy of the Barnabas Fund year journal? This valuable devotional resource has pages for you to record your thoughts and reflections throughout the months, as well as uplifting Bible verses and short testimonies, prayers and poems from Christians around the world who have drawn closer to the Lord through trials and suffering.

My Devotional Journal can both encourage you in your own spiritual journey and make an ideal present for your Christian friends. It is available now at the special offer price of £5 (plus £2 P&P). Please contact your nearest Barnabas Fund office to order your copy.

Supporting Barnabas as an Alternative Christmas Present Supporting a Barnabas Fund project as a gift for a friend or relative is a valuable means of resourcing vital ministries. Why not do this as an alternative Christmas present for your loved ones this year?

If you choose to support a Barnabas Fund project, we can supply you with an attractive “Thank you” card, which you can send to the person on whose behalf you have made the donation.

Please fill in the details as you would like them to appear on the card. Please write clearly.

If you would like to have the card sent directly to the recipient, or if you would prefer to receive blank cards and fill them out yourself, please contact your A national office (address details on back cover).

If you would like more cards, please photocopy this page and send it with your donation.

18

BARNABAS AID NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

“Dear __________________________

“Dear __________________________

A gift of £_______ has been received on your behalf from __________________

A gift of £_______ has been received on your behalf from __________________

This gift will assist Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

With many thanks on behalf of the persecuted Church”

This gift will assist Christians who are persecuted for their faith.

With many thanks on behalf of the persecuted Church”

Tick here if you do not want the amount to be stated on the card Tick here if you do wish details about the project to be included on the card Please state your preferred card choice (see below): _______

Tick here if you do not want the amount to be stated on the card Tick here if you do wish details about the project to be included on the card Please state your preferred card choice (see below): _______

B

C

D