Barnabas Prayer May June 2016

BARNABAS FUND – AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

barnabasprayer To help you pray for the persecuted church

May/June 2016 barnabasfund.org

Thank you for your prayers for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, which make such a difference to them. We sometimes have to change or omit their names for security reasons, and we have only limited space to share their stories.

But the Lord knows the people and places we are praying about. Thank you for your understanding.

May/June 2016 2

Please do not feel limited by the specific prayer requests, but pray as you feel led. On each Sunday we have provided a set prayer; please feel free to use these in their current form, to adapt them as you prefer, or to use the information they contain to frame your own prayers.

May Sunday 1 Our Father in heaven, we

grieve to hear how Iraqi Christians in Baghdad have recently lost their homes, businesses, cultural sites and church buildings when they were seized by Iranian-backed militias, forcing the owners to leave. Help us to share the pain of our brothers and sisters who feel that they are being targeted in a type of ethnic cleansing, designed to rid the Iraqi capital of all Christians. May their faith in You never waver, despite all that they are enduring. We pray with them that Your will be done in Baghdad, Iraq and everywhere on earth, as it is in heaven.

Monday 2 Islamic State (IS) held an auction on 16 January to sell off homes, furniture, storage units and other property in Mosul, Iraq, which had been left behind by the Christian

owners as they fled the city in June 2014 when IS entered it. This was apparently a fund-raising effort by the terrorist group, which seems to have been in financial difficulties and has cut the salaries of its fighters by half. Not having the original title deeds to the property, IS created their own deeds.

Ask the God of justice to right the terrible wrongs that have been inflicted on His faithful people in Iraq.

Tuesday 3 Praise God for courageous and loving Muslims like Umm Alaa, an Iraqi who attended the IS auction of Christian property in Mosul on 16 January in order to bid for the house of her Christian neighbour, Umm Wa’el.

Umm Alaa had promised mother-offour Umm Wa’el she would get the house back for her so that it would be ready and waiting for Umm Wa’el when she returned to Mosul. Umm Alaa’s shining example contrasts with the hostility of many Mosul Muslims which has made their Christian former neighbours feel they would not dare to return to their city even if IS left it.

Wednesday 4 Iraqi Christians were grief-struck when a study of satellite images recently revealed that the oldest monastery in the country had been razed to the ground by Islamic

Barnabas has rescued Iraqi Christians through Operation Safe Havens

State (IS) militants back in AugustSeptember 2014. The 26-room hilltop building in Mosul, where Christians had worshipped for more than 14 centuries, is now just rubble and dust. “We see it as an attempt to expel us from Iraq, eliminating and finishing our existence in this land,” said one Iraqi church leader. Pray that IS will not succeed in their attempts to remove a Christian witness and presence from Iraq.

Friday 6 Thank the Lord for answered prayer regarding the Iranian elections on 26 February. Relatively moderate Muslims won 15 out of the 16 seats on the Assembly of Experts, which chooses the country’s next Supreme Leader. At the time of writing, the results of the parliamentary elections are not clear, but it looks as if there will be a balance between moderates and hard-liners.

Pray that the Lord will move the hearts of Iranian legislators, as He did long ago for Cyrus, king of the same country, to be a blessing to His people.

(2 Chronicles 36: 22-23) Saturday 7 Pray that the new Iranian authorities will abandon plans made

Sunday 8 Lord Jesus, we ask You to

help our Christian brothers and sisters in India such as the orphanage workers, Bhola and Pinki Singh, who were arrested with their two little children and their pastor and held at a police station for four days without even a blanket to sleep on. Please help them to recover from the trauma, especially the children, just seven and five years old. May it serve to deepen their love for You. We pray also for the many other faithful suffering Christians in India, whom we do not know by name, but You do.

Monday 9 Violent anti-Christian incidents occur in India at the rate of about one a day, with several Christians usually affected in each. Most are perpetrated by Hindu radicals, but an incident in January involved Sikh radicals who used sharp implements to beat four Christians meeting at the home of Pastor Darshan Singh in Rajpura, Punjab state. They also used their vehicle to try to run over one of the believers. All four victims had to be hospitalised. Pray for their healing, especially remembering Pastor Darshan who had a deep wound to his head.

Tuesday 10 Eleven Indian Christians had met to pray for healing for a sick girl in Churu, Rajasthan state, on 31 January, when they were attacked by a mob of around 200 Hindu radicals.

Then they were handed over to the

May/June 2016 3

Thursday 5 A senior church leader from Mosul rejoices that Iraqi believers have not converted to Islam, even when forced from their homes by the brutality of Islamic State. “Our identity is to live like Jesus Christ,” he affirms. Praise God for the faith and courage of Iraqi and Syrian Christians who will give up everything they own, and even their lives if necessary, rather than deny their Lord and Saviour. Pray that their example may inspire Christians in the West and strengthen their faith as it comes under increasing challenge.

under the previous government to forcibly convert a church building in Tehran into an “Islamic prayer centre” i.e. a mosque. The building was illegally confiscated more than two years ago from Assyrian Christians. Pray that it will be restored to them.

May/June 2016 4

police, falsely accused of bribing people to convert to Christianity. Earlier in the month a women’s prayer meeting in Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, had been similarly targeted; four of the women were arrested but later released and warned not to pray together except in their own homes. Ask the Lord Jesus to protect His followers who simply want to meet and pray.

Wednesday 11 Ugandan Muslims started to build a mosque on churchowned land, but Christians got a legal injunction to halt the construction work. A court case began in February as to whether the building can be completed or not, and the final ruling is to be made on 16 May. Muslims have threatened to kill seven named pastors and church leaders if the ruling says the mosque cannot be completed. Pray for a legal decision that upholds the right of Christians not to have mosques forcibly built on their property. Pray also for the protection of the seven Christian leaders. Christians have been told that a group of Muslims are wearing the seven names written on a piece of cloth around their wrists and have vowed not to rest until all seven are dead.

Thursday 12 There is only one Christian-owned business in the town of Aringa, in northern Uganda, and Muslims have been ordered by a fatwa not to sell land or businesses to Christians. Another fatwa says that Muslims should not hire any Christian employees. Three Muslim missionaries from Egypt and seven from Pakistan have been active in the region for the last few months teaching extremism and jihad in the local mosques. Pray that Ugandan

Muslims will resist attempts to radicalise them and that God will protect and provide for Christians in Aringa, enabling them to find livelihoods to support their families.

Friday 13 It is common knowledge in the towns of Arua (majority Christian) and Aringa (majority Muslim), Uganda, that Muslims have made it a goal that 100% of all local government and civil servants should be Muslim.

Already Muslims hold the majority of positions in Arua and almost all positions in Aringa. Remembering how the Lord raised Joseph, Esther and Daniel to positions of influence amongst unbelievers in the Old Testament, ask Him to place godly and wise Christians in positions in these towns where they can be salt and light amongst decision-makers.

Saturday 14 The Ugandan parliament has passed a law to permit sharia finance in their country, which is approximately 15% Muslim and 85% Christian. Some Christians are concerned that this is yet another step in the Islamisation of Ugandan institutions. “Given the experience of other countries, where application of Islamic sharia has caused the death of many innocent people in religious wars, Uganda should desist from inviting such anarchy. It’s not really possible for sharia law to coexist with other legal jurisdiction in a nation. Sharia compliant is not compatible with our laws,” wrote one Christian leader to Barnabas Fund, also drawing attention to 1 Peter 5:8-9. “It will be regrettable to remember that it happened at our watch while we were folding our hands.”

Pray that his words will be heeded by

Christians in Uganda and they will act to protect their Christian heritage and religious liberty.

Sunday 15 O Holy Spirit, our Comforter

and Counsellor, we ask You to minister to all secret believers, who cannot meet to praise and pray with others, who do not know the joy of fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters, who must seek here and there for opportunities through books, radio, TV or online to get teaching to help them grow in their faith.

Please speak to each one, reminding them of the words of the Lord Jesus, enlightening their hearts and minds with full understanding, consoling them with His own dear presence. We ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Monday 16 A Pakistani Christian was beaten to death by police in January after having been stripped naked and hung up until his shoulders were dislocated. Liaquat Masih had worked

Tuesday 17 Muhammad Khan Sherani, head of Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), said on 28 January that he was willing to review his country’s blasphemy law. The CII’s job is to advise whether legislation is “repugnant to Islam”. The blasphemy law, which carries a mandatory death sentence for defiling the name of Muhammad, is often abused to make false accusations and Christians are especially vulnerable to being accused by Muslims. However, within days Maulana Sherani had backtracked after other Islamic scholars denounced the idea that the law might be amended. Muhammad is so strongly venerated by Pakistani Muslims that it seems impossible this dangerous law can ever be changed. But pray that this will happen, remembering that what is impossible with men is possible with God. (Luke 18:27) Wednesday 18 Tahira (21) and her sister Reema (20), both Christians, were kidnapped by Muslims towards the end of last year, forcibly converted to Islam and forced to marry their kidnappers in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.

Tahira has managed to escape but dares not return to her family, who are now

May/June 2016 5

These Ugandan Christian children live in an area where Muslims control almost all the businesses. But Barnabas is helping 400 Christians to establish farming projects to support their families while empowering and transforming their community

as a driver for 18 years for a Muslim politician when he was accused by his employer’s wife of stealing jewellery.

The police also beat Gull Khatab, a former employee of the politician, to try to pressure him into accusing Liaqat, but Gull refused. When local Christians staged a peaceful protest the following day outside the police station at which it all happened, police used batons against them, injuring six women and four men.

Pray for the protection of Christians in Pakistan from violence and injustice.

May/June 2016 6

in grave danger because the kidnappers have filed a police complaint against them. The police typically take the side of the Muslim husbands in such cases.

Pray that Reema may also find a way to escape and that both sisters may find a hope and future in a culture where their reputations are now ruined and they and their relatives are in danger of physical attack by the Muslim family or arrest by the police. (Jeremiah 29:11) Thursday 19 There are estimated to be around 700 cases like Tahira and Reema (see above) every year in Pakistan. Pray for the courageous Christian lawyers, some of them supported financially by Barnabas Fund, who put their own lives at risk to give legal assistance to the victims and their families. Ask the Lord to grant them favour as they argue their cases before the authorities and to protect them from the many enemies they make as they speak up in defence of poor and vulnerable believers.

Friday 20 A referendum is to be held in Tajikistan on 22 May about constitutional changes which would tighten President Rakhmon’s grip on power. He has already served as president since 1994 and the changes, which seem certain to be passed, would give him the right to continue to offer himself for re-election as long as he wishes. It would also ban political parties based on religion, and thus ban his main opposition, the Islamic Renaissance Party. Christians, who make up about 1.5% of the population, have faced increasing restrictions under President Rakhmon’s rule but would doubtless fare far worse if the Islamic

Renaissance Party were in power.

Ask God, who founded the world by His wisdom, to guide events in this country on Sunday. (Jeremiah 10:12)

Christians in Tajikistan at prayer Saturday 21 Vietnam, a one-party Communist state, is holding elections on 22 May for its National Assembly and People’s Councils. The members of the National Assembly will then appoint the Prime Minister. Christians in Vietnam are under constant surveillance and frequently face intimidation and arbitrary arrest.

Churches must register with the authorities, but regulations introduced in 2013 have made registration practically impossible. In this context, pray that those elected to power, even though they must be members of the Communist Party, will be more kindly disposed towards Christians than the previous government.

Sunday 22 O Triune God, Father, Son

and Holy Spirit, thank You for our persecuted brothers and sisters who have been granted the privilege of suffering for Your sake. May we be faithful in remembering them in prayer, bold in speaking out on their behalf, and generous with our time and resources.

Enable each one of us to play our role

in a Chain of Hope to link Your children all around the world. May they be encouraged to know that they are not forgotten by fellow Christians far away, and may we grow in our faith as we see their patient endurance.

Tuesday 24 Pray for the effectiveness of Barnabas Fund’s petition on the genocide of Christians and other minorities in the Middle East.

Praise God that the US House of Representatives voted unanimously on 15 March that Islamic State’s attacks on religious minorities constitute genocide, and the Council of Europe has also recognised that some actions of Islamic State (IS) constitute genocide.

Certain members of the UK’s House of Lords wrote to Prime Minister David Cameron to urge that jihadist attacks on Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East should be classified as genocide. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said that she “stands ready” to begin a genocide enquiry but needs an order from the UN Security Council.

Pray that a groundswell of demands

Wednesday 25 “Mr President, the people are suffering. Proverbs 21:13”.

This was the wording on a placard held aloft by Zimbabwean pastor Patrick Mugadza during a Zanu PF party conference at Victoria Falls at the end of last year. He was arrested and detained for 17 nights until his bail was reduced to a sum he could afford to pay. Pray for Pastor Patrick that he will be acquitted of all charges and ask that President Robert Mugabe will take note of the Biblical challenge and take action to care for the hungry people of his nation.

Thursday 26 Southern Zimbabwe is in the throes of a terrible drought, which looks set to be the worst on record.

Rivers are dry, crops have shrivelled in the fields, livestock are dying, and children are staying away from school because they are afraid they will faint in class from hunger. Barnabas is working with 100 local churches to provide flour, beans and cooking oil for some of the neediest families. Pray for rain to fall on this thirsty land and for the government to help its hungry people.

Friday 27 Several areas of Tanzania have banned the keeping of pigs. The most recent to do this was the northern town of Shinyanga, where local government issued the ban on the basis that pig-rearing might cause a breach of the peace. The driving factor is, of course, that Islam considers pigs to be

May/June 2016 7

Monday 23 Three Syrian Christians were killed and up to 20 people injured in bomb attacks in a Christian neighbourhood of the northern city, Qamishli, on 24 January. The first bomb was at the Christian-run Star café and the second at the Christian-run Joseph Bakery. Only 25 days earlier, 13 Christians had been killed in the same city when IS militants detonated bombs at three Christian-run restaurants. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to comfort those who mourn and to give them the grace to forgive those who have taken their loved ones from them.

about this systematic oppression and violence will result in international acknowledgement of a genocide and therefore effective action to help Middle Eastern Christians, Yazidis and other victims of Islamic State’s murderous activities.

May/June 2016 8

unclean. The butchering of animals has been contentious in Tanzania for several years. Muslims have customarily carried out animal slaughter to ensure that all meat is halal, but the custom is now being enforced as if it were a law.

Some Christians who have slaughtered have been arrested or violently attacked. Pray that the authorities will enforce the freedoms that Christians have in law and that the pig-rearing ban in Shinyanga and other towns will be removed.

Saturday 28 Al-Shabaab militants attacked the Christian parts of Maporomoko village near the Kenyan coastal town of Lamu on 31 January.

Five Christians were killed and six abducted. “I am very sure that the attackers were looking for Christians,” said one Christian, shot in the hand, whose neighbour had been beheaded.

Radical Muslim leaders are calling for the entire coastal region of Kenya to be populated only by Muslims. For this reason they are demanding that Christians leave, particularly those in Lamu county who were allocated unused land through a government resettlement scheme (as were Muslims too). Pray for a change of attitude to Christians in and around Lamu that Muslims may welcome their presence.

Sunday 29 Father of compassion and

God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, please pour out your comfort on our brothers and sisters in Somalia, who face every day the possibility of death, because of their decision to follow Your Son. Send your angels to guard them and keep them safe. Fill their hearts with peace, joy and hope. Give them in abundance the

ability to love their enemies. May their lives reflect in every way the character of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose Name we pray.

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4) Monday 30 Three church buildings in Cuba were demolished by the authorities in January and February.

All three churches had been built on land belonging to their respective pastors. When the church (and home) of Pastor Alain Toledano was destroyed on 5 February, police also arrested around 200 of his church members to prevent them protesting against the demolition. “They see us as a danger because our churches are growing the most,” said Pastor Bernardo de Quezada Salomon, whose church was destroyed on 8 January. Pray that the Cuban authorities will relax their hostility to the Christian faith.

Tuesday 31 US General John Kelly has warned of a security threat to the Caribbean from home-grown Islamist terrorists. The greatest concern centres on the former British colonies in the region. Caribbean countries have only limited resources for dealing with security matters in comparison with richer nations, so pray that the authorities will be alert and able to maintain peace and stability. Pray also that Caribbean church leaders will have discernment and wisdom in our fastchanging world.

June Wednesday 1 Forty-two Syrian Christian hostages were released on 22 February, having been held for 364 days

by Islamic State. They were part of a group of 253 Christians abducted from Christian villages along the Khabur River in north-east Syria. The other hostages had already been released in groups over a period of months, except for three men who were killed and two teenage girls who remain in captivity. Barnabas Fund is caring for the practical and medical needs of the released hostages. Pray for their emotional and spiritual needs to be met as well, as they recover from their long ordeal and start life again with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. Pray for the two girls to be released.

Thursday 2 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,� said our Lord Jesus (Matthew 5:44). Pray today for the men and women of the Islamic State group who, in their efforts to please Allah, are inflicting savage cruelties beyond imagining on anyone who does not share their extremist ideology. Pray that they may come to understand what truly pleases the God who made heaven and earth. Pray that they may turn in revulsion from the horrors they have committed, and find healing and hope in Christ. Remember especially followers who are already sickened and disillusioned with IS but cannot leave the organisation for fear of a terrible punishment.

Saturday 4 A 35-year-old Indian Christian called Awadesh Savita had his head shaved as well as half his moustache and one eyebrow and was then paraded through the town of Orai, Uttar Pradesh state, on a donkey. This extreme humiliation was inflicted on him by a group of Hindu radicals, who falsely accused him of converting three Hindus to Christianity. Around 200 people were involved in the incident and police have arrested 20. Pray for our brother Awadesh that he may rejoice to have been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name of Jesus (Acts 5:41) who Himself rode through the streets on a donkey (Matthew 21:7).

May/June 2016 9

Release of Syrian Christian hostages on 22 February

Friday 3 Pandayya and his wife Seethamma were vibrant Christian believers, always at the forefront of every activity at their church in Kamuduvalasa village, Andhra Pradesh state, India. On 8 January a young boy in their village died, having suffered with a wound on his leg that never healed. The village elders accused Pandayya and his family of killing the child by black magic. The family protested that they were innocent and explained that as Christians they would never be involved in any kind of black magic. Nevertheless the village elders hired some assassins who dragged the couple from their home one night, beat them with sticks, and then burnt them to death. Pray for the three adult daughters of Pandayya and Seehtamma and for the shaken and distressed congregation, that the Lord will give them His comfort and a peace that passes understanding. The police arrested seven people but other suspects managed to escape.

May/June 2016 10

Sunday 5 Lord Jesus Christ, we bring to you two church leaders in India, who have been seriously injured because of their faithful ministry. Please heal Simon Tandy, who was travelling on a motorbike with his wife in Chhattisgarh state, when Hindu radicals deliberately rammed him. Please also restore to full health Jose Kannumkuzhy, who was in a car with three other Christians in Tamil Nadu state when it was attacked by a mob who forced them out, punched and stoned them, while they mockingly told the believers to call on You, Jesus, to protect them. May our brothers be able to testify like David, “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stout-hearted.” (Psalm 138:3) Monday 6 A fifth century underground cave church has been discovered in Turkey’s Cappadocia region, a place where some of the earliest Christians lived (Acts 2:9, 1 Peter 1:1). As Christians in Turkey today face pressure of many kinds, particularly with regard to their buildings, and are made to feel unwanted in their own country, pray that this tangible reminder of their historic roots may bring them encouragement and hope. Pray that the Muslim population (99% according to government figures) will recognise that Christians are not foreigners or traitors, but have a rightful place in society.

Tuesday 7 A church building in Bursa, Turkey, dating from the 1880s is currently used by four different denominations. When the Christians made a routine application to renew their permission to use the building, they were refused and ordered to leave the premises by 26 February. When this became known, local residents and the

Turkish media reacted in support of the Christians – a very unusual occurrence in Turkey, where the Muslim majority and media are generally negative towards Christians. Perhaps even more surprising was the response of the Turkish authorities on 23 February withdrawing the eviction order. Praise God for this turn of events and pray that it may set a precedent for welcoming the presence of Christians in Turkey.

Wednesday 8 Amjad is a Syrian Christian who used to work as a music teacher. He and his wife Aabir have twin sons, Mark and Michael, aged five, who have never known what it is to live in a country at peace.

Michael is suffering from leukaemia.

A church in Canada has obtained visas from the Canadian government and, with financial donations by Syrian Christians and from Barnabas Fund’s Operation Safe Havens, the family have moved to Canada. Pray that in Canada Michael will be able to get effective medical treatment and that the family will be able to settle down, and live as Christians without fear of violence or persecution.

Michael is settling in Canada with his parents and twin brother Thursday 9 Praise God for 153 visas granted by the Czech Republic to Iraqi Christians seeking to escape the antiChristian violence of their homeland

and start their lives afresh in a safe and stable environment. With funding from Barnabas Fund’s Operation Safe Havens, and care and counselling by the Czech organisation “Foundation Generation 21”, the families are now settling into their new home, having flown over in several groups between January and April. Pray that the Czech Christians will know how to show their love and care in the most effective way to their traumatised Iraqi brothers and sisters.

Saturday 11 American-Iranian pastor Saeed Abedini has been released from prison in Iran as part of a prisoner exchange between the US and Iranian governments in January. Praise God for this answer to the prayers of believers around the world, but continue to intercede for the many Iranian Christians without dual American citizenship who are still held in Iranian jails. Though we may not know their names, the Lord does. Pray that each one may be encouraged by an awareness that the Lord has not forgotten them, and that their name is engraved on His palms. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

for Christians in north-east Nigeria, who suffer great violence from Boko Haram militants. We lift to you those who have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, and those who have been injured or maimed. Give them grace to forgive those who have done this to them. May they take hold of the hope that You offer, as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. We pray also for other victims of Boko Haram, who do not know and love You, that You will draw close to them in their suffering and meet their needs.

(Hebrews 6:18-19)

Monday 13 Please continue to pray for over 200 Christian girls kidnapped from their school in Chibok, north-east Nigeria, by Boko Haram militants in April 2014. Their typical experience has been rape, forced marriage to a militant, and brutalisation to make them into jihadis themselves. Ask that the Nigerian army may succeed in locating the girls and setting them free.

Barnabas is helping their families. Pray also for girls who were kidnapped but later managed to escape. It has taken them a long time to re-integrate into their former communities, where they were labelled “Boko Haram wives” and mistrusted. Pray for their babies, who are still rejected by the Christian community as having “bad blood” because of their Boko Haram fathers.

Tuesday 14 The government of Niger in West Africa is democratic but struggles to deliver services for the people as the country is very poor.

Islamists are filling the gap by setting up their own institutions parallel to those of the state. This includes schools, colleges, universities, health centres,

May/June 2016 11

Friday 10 The British government is considering controversial proposals to tackle extremism in mosque schools, but the regulations would also be applied to Christian Sunday schools.

The way in which “extremism” is defined could mean that traditional Christian teaching on a range of subjects would become illegal. Many MPs are concerned about the implications of the proposals for religious liberty in the UK and Barnabas Fund has been at the forefront of flagging up the issues.

Please pray that a wise and right way forward will be found.

Sunday 12 Lord Jesus, we pray today

May/June 2016 12

social services, legal services, financial services including microfinance, markets, charities, and even militias and police. Extremist Islamic movements, such as Tariqa and Izala, are active in certain parts of the country, putting strong pressure on Christians and other non-Muslim minorities and also any Muslims they consider are not following Islam properly. Please pray for wisdom for government, moderate Muslim leaders, church leaders and others in Niger that they will know how to counter this Islamist strategy which looks set to create an alternative Islamic state in Niger.

Wednesday 15 “Every day there are suicide bombers, there is theft of cattle, there are killings and kidnapping of people and theft of goods,” wrote a Christian leader to Barnabas Fund in February about the situation in northern Cameroon in February, where Islamist militants are targeting Christians and moderate Muslims.

Quite often the suicide bombers are female, such as the two who detonated themselves where a group of Christian women had gathered to mourn another Christian woman’s death. Eight of the

Barnabas aid for victims of violence in Cameroon

mourners were killed. Pray for the Islamists who believe that such violence is pleasing to Allah, that they will have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and become men and women of peace and true faith.

Thursday 16 Mr Faustin-Archange Touadéra has been elected president of the Central African Republic. His predecessor, also a Christian, was forcibly deposed in March 2013 by Muslim militants who seized political power in this 80% Christian country.

The three years between the two presidents were a time of turmoil and violence, despite an interim president for the last two years. Mr Touadéra, a former prime minister and maths professor, had campaigned as a peacemaker who could bridge the religious divide. Pray that he may be successful in these aims, and bring peace, justice, stability and freedom.

Friday 17 Yklas Kabduakasov, a Christian convert from Islam, was found guilty by a court in Kazakhstan of inciting religious hatred and sentenced to seven years of restricted freedom (based at his home). He appealed against his conviction and the prosecution appealed against the lightness of his sentence. The result was that his sentence was increased to two years in a prison labour camp.

According to Forum 18, the secret police gathered evidence against him from hidden cameras which recorded conversations he had with four university students who would ask him to come and discuss religion.

Pray that God will enable our brother Yklas to endure the harsh conditions in which he is now living and even to

give thanks to God, knowing that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

Sunday 19 O Lord, please protect and keep our brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan, who are so vulnerable to harassment by the authorities. We think of the little group, gathered in Samarkand on a Sunday afternoon in February, who were arrested and detained until 4 a.m. the following morning. We pray that they will know You as their stronghold, who keeps them from all fear, as they focus on seeking Your face. We pray for strength and health for the woman who fainted while in custody and the children who fell sick afterwards because of the cold they had had to endure at the police station. In Jesus’ Name, we ask You to bless them.

(Psalm 27:1-4)

Tuesday 21 The new government of Burma (Myanmar) has appointed members of various ethnic minorities to key posts. A Chin Christian called Henry Van Thio is a vice-president.

A Baptist Christian of the Karen ethnic group, Mahn Win Khaing Than, is speaker of the upper house of parliament. The deputy speaker of the lower house is Ti Khun Myat, from the Kachin ethnic group (of whom the vast majority are Christian). All together some 40 Christians took their seats in the new parliament in February. Pray that the Lord will guide them to make wise use of the positions to which they have been raised up.

Wednesday 22 Around 4,000 Pakistani Christians have fled the harassment and persecution they face in their homeland and sought refuge in Thailand. But the detention centres are filthy and cramped, so many of the children and babies get sick. Worse, the Thai authorities often treat the Pakistanis as criminals, so some of the men end up in the Central Jail in Bangkok, where their heads are shaved and their ankles shackled with heavy chains. The UN is slowly

May/June 2016 13

Saturday 18 Pastor “Rustam” is a convert from Islam in a Central Asian country. Local Muslims became angered as his church of Muslim converts grew, and they complained to various government bodies. As a result, his church was closed down by the secret police in early 2015. But this action had no legal basis, so the church appealed and a few months later won their case in court. Rustam was then arrested on a false charge of attempting to rape an 8-year-old girl. The girl’s mother, who had been pressured by police into writing a statement accusing the pastor, tried later to retract her statement but the police would not allow her to. Pray for Rustam in prison, for his five school-age children and his wife, who is expecting their sixth child in July. Barnabas Fund is supporting the family financially.

Monday 20 Praise God that a third Christian bakery has been added to the project in North Korea supported

by Barnabas Fund, and pray for the Christians employed there that they may have joy in the Lord, despite the high risks they face daily just for following Christ. The bakery will produce and distribute 3,000 bread rolls a day to children in 22 schools, as well as providing the children with soya milk. Pray that these will be a blessing to youngsters in this hungry country.

May/June 2016 14

processing their asylum applications and Barnabas Fund is supporting Christian schools for the children.

Ask God to guide the Thai and UN authorities so that the needless extra suffering of those who have already endured so much may be alleviated.

Thursday 23 Qaisar Jahan got a job as a “water man” in a school in Faisalabad, Pakistan. His task was to water the garden and make sure there was drinking water available. But when the head discovered that Qaisar was a Christian she began to pressure him to take on the job of “sweeper” instead, responsible for cleaning the toilets and other despised and dirty tasks. The same demotion had already happened to two of Qaisar’s Christian friends who had got jobs as water men in other schools and ended up as sweepers.

Many Pakistani Muslims view Christians as “unclean” and feel that they would be defiled if they consumed anything touched by a Christian. Pray that Christians, living in a society which despises them, may have confidence that they are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a people belonging to God. (1 Peter 2:9) Friday 24 Continue to lift up to the Lord Aasia Bibi, on death row in Pakistan because of a false accusation of blasphemy. The Christian mother’s appeal is still pending in the Supreme Court. Pray for the lawyers representing her that they will be able to communicate clearly the justice of her cause. Ask that the judges will have courage to make the right decision, even though it may enrage zealous Muslims. Pray for Aasia’s husband and children as the long years go by without

her presence amongst them. Barnabas is supporting the family with monthly food parcels and recently gave a grant to help them buy their own house.

Saturday 25 Christians in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to show their faith in any public way. Even meeting in a private home to pray is sometimes treated as illegal. If migrant workers are caught infringing these laws they are usually punished and then deported, but Saudi Christians could potentially be executed because of their apostasy from Islam, in line with classical sharia law. Pray for courage, peace and protection for all our brothers and sisters struggling to live for Christ in such circumstances.

Sunday 26 Lord Jesus, we lift to You our

brothers and sisters in Algeria. Thank you for the wonderful way in which the Church there has grown in recent decades, even though it is illegal for Christians to talk about You to their Muslim neighbours. Thank you for the courage of our Algerian brothers and sisters who boldly go and make disciples in their nation. May they know the truth of your promise to be with them always to the very end of the age, whatever the harassment or persecution that they face. (Matthew 28:19-20) Monday 27 International Muslim scholars meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, in February issued a statement calling for the rights of religious minorities under Islam to be respected. The scholars based their demands on the ancient Constitution (or Charter) of Medina, which set out the rights and duties of Jews living in Medina where Muhammad established

Tuesday 28 The Moroccan government does not officially acknowledge the existence of any indigenous Moroccan Christians and has strict laws against sharing the Gospel with Muslims.

Praise God that, despite this, there are Moroccan converts from Islam but they have to meet very discreetly.

The issue of freedom to choose one’s religion was apparently not tackled at the Marrakesh meeting in February (see above) in spite of the presence of Christians from various countries at the meeting. Pray that the laws of Morocco will be changed so that Moroccan Christians can live out their faith without fear of harassment.

Wednesday 29 In the weeks before the Syrian ceasefire came into effect earlier

this year, the main brunt of violence was being borne by the Christian areas of Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, which for many decades had had a substantial Christian minority. In one weekend, seven Christians were killed, including two university students and a 13-yearold boy who died when the force of a rocket threw him from his apartment, still in his bed, into the street. Two large apartment blocks were destroyed, and this followed damage to around 100 apartments in the Christian area earlier in the month. Pray for the Christian families suddenly made homeless in this way, that they may take comfort by remembering that they are following in the footsteps of the Son of Man who had nowhere to lay his head. (Matthew 8:20) May/June 2016 15

the first Islamic State. The Constitution of Medina seems to indicate that Jews were considered subordinate to Muslims and somewhat mistrusted, but this was the model which the scholars urged should be followed in Muslim-majority countries today. They said such countries should establish a similar “constitutional contractual relationship” and urged that the past centuries of “joint and shared living in the same land” should be remembered and re-created. This scenario is far better for non-Muslims than the brutal extremism of Islamic State, but does not offer them equality with Muslim citizens, whether one looks at the Constitution of Medina or at historic practice. Nor is there any freedom to convert from Islam. Pray that Muslim scholars will call for full equality for all, with no need for special contractual arrangements for non-Muslims living alongside a Muslim majority.

A Christian neighbourhood of Aleppo Thursday 30 Praise God for the decisive actions of President al-Sisi of Egypt to try to right the wrongs done to Egyptian Christians. Only a couple of days after his pledge at a Christmas service in Cairo to fix and renovate all the church buildings and Christian homes that had been attacked by Islamists, the Egyptian army had started to repair the buildings. The president undertook to get all the repairs done in 2016. At this half-way point of the year, pray that he may be able to meet this target and for God’s protection over the newly restored and repaired churches and homes.

UK 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 For a list of all trustees, please contact Barnabas Fund UK at the address above.

Australia PO BOX 3527, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org Germany German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will provide you with a tax-deductible receipt. Please mention that the donation is for “SPC 20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund office in Pewsey, UK. Account holder: Hilfe für Brüder International e.V. Account number: 415 600 Bank: Evang Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart IBAN: DE89520604100000415600 BIC: GENODEF1EK1

barnabasfund.org

New Zealand PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City, Auckland, 2241 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland PO Box 354, Bangor, BT20 9EQ Telephone 028 91 455 246 or 07875 539003 Email ireland@barnabasfund.org Singapore Cheques in Singapore dollars payable to “Barnabas Fund” may be sent to: The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK 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 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

Front cover: A Ugandan Christian child whose community is being helped by Barnabas. See page 5.

Barnabas Fund is a Company registered in England Number 4029536.

Registered Charity Number 1092935 © Barnabas Fund 2016