Praying for the Persecuted Church 2014

Praying for the Persecuted Church 2014

© Barnabas Fund 2014 Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version®.

Creative Commons image sources: Page 6: Ben, “An inside view of the old Afghan parliament building. Men and women participate in the parliament discussion session in 2006”, 22 January 2006, via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons License

Page 39, ctsnow, “Isbaheysiga Mosque in Mogadishu”, 18 July 2007, via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons License

Page 12 P.A.S. HOPFAN NGO, “Looting in Bangui, CAR”, 4 April 2013, via Flickr, Creative Commons License

Page 46, Habib M’henni, “Église catholique de Saint Félix dans la ville de Sousse, Tunisie”, 7 May 2013, via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons License

Page 14: Nick Leonard, Jungle_Boy, “The main church in Trinidad, Cuba”, 8 March 2005, via Flickr, Creative Commons License

Page 47: Alaexis, “Hagia Sophia, Trabzon”, July 2008, via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons License

Page 28: Dennixo, “A view of the Old Town of Benghazi, Libya”, 13 March 2009, via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons License

Page 51, Nathan Nelson, “The Central Highlands of Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail”, 11 August 2005, via Flickr, Creative Commons License

Page 29: FloBo76, “Maldives paradise”, 11 February 2008, via Flickr, Creative Commons License

Unless otherwise stated, images are © Barnabas Fund.

Welcome Your prayers for persecuted Christians Writing from prison to the Christians in Philippi, the apostle Paul expresses his confidence in the effectiveness of their prayers on his behalf. “I know,” he says, “that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance” (Philippians 1:19). He is grateful for their partnership in the work of the Gospel and for their financial gifts, but he also takes joy in their intercession for him in his persecutions and sufferings.

Our brothers and sisters in contexts of pressure and persecution appreciate our support for their ministry and mission, and your generous donations that make this possible. But they also rejoice in our prayers for them and often desire these above all else. They and we can be confident that those prayers are effective in furthering God’s saving purpose for them, whether He delivers them from their distress or enables them to endure it.

This booklet is provided to inspire and focus your prayers for our Lord’s suffering people. Most pages are dedicated to a particular country where Christians experience serious hostility for His sake or to a particular group of persecuted believers, and they offer background information and suggestions for prayer. The final page encourages us to rejoice in the glorious hope that God has given to Christians in the resurrection of Jesus, a hope that can sustain us all in our trials for Him.

(Some Christians like to observe the traditional season of Lent to prepare themselves for remembering at Easter time the death and resurrection of Christ. The booklet has been structured for use during this time, with a page for every day from Ash Wednesday, 5 March. A reading plan for this period can be found on the inside back cover, finishing on Easter Day, 20 April, with its message of hope and joy.)

Thank you so much for your prayers. They make such a difference to our persecuted family.

With our Lord’s blessings,

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo International Director, Barnabas Fund P.S. If you would like to send practical help to persecuted Christians as well as praying for them, please use the gift form at the back of this booklet. A selection of Barnabas Fund projects are listed at the foot of the pages.

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Afghanistan Algeria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Victims of Violence Burma Central African Republic China Cuba Egypt Eritrea Children Holy Land India Indonesia Iran Iraq Kazakhstan Pastors and Evangelists Kenya Kyrgyzstan Laos Libya Maldives

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Mali Women Nepal Nigeria North Korea Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia Converts Somalia Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tajikistan Tanzania Elderly Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Martyrs Vietnam A Living Hope

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Afghanistan In July 2013 Members of Parliament in Afghanistan called for converts from Islam to Christianity to be killed, in accordance with sharia law. The parliamentary speaker ordered the country’s national security services to take serious steps to stop the spread of Christianity, and the Afghan media launched a vitriolic campaign against Christian converts.

This extreme antagonism reflects the grave dangers faced by Christians in Afghanistan, who are thought to number around 1,200 and are all converts from Islam or children of converts. Although none has been executed, a number have been arrested and jailed for a time, and on their release many have fled abroad to escape further persecution. There is deeprooted public hostility to apostates from Islam, leading to discrimination, harassment and occasional violence against them; converts may lose their spouses and jobs and be rejected by their families. The extremist Taliban have also threatened to target Christians.

Most Christians do not state their beliefs publicly or gather openly for worship. There are no public churches or Christian schools, and believers worship alone or in small congregations in private homes. Anyone suspected of involvement in Christian activities is liable to harassment, and any kind of missionary endeavour may attract fierce opposition.

Although the Afghan constitution declares that non-Muslims are free to practise their faith, it also states that “no law can be contrary to the beliefs Pray for converts from Islam to Christianity in Afghanistan, asking that the Lord will protect them from hostility at the hands of the government, armed groups and their own neighbours and families. Ask that they will know God’s peace and strength so that they may persevere in their faith

The Afghan parliament has issued threats against Christian converts from Islam (Source: Ben, Wikimedia Commons)

and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam”. In practice a restrictive interpretation of sharia has become the law of the land. despite such intense pressure. Pray for greater religious freedom to be established in the country and that the Muslim majority will become more tolerant of Christians and other minorities. Give thanks for the growth of the Afghan Church in exile, and pray for its continuing mission among Afghan refugees.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Needy and persecuted Afghan Christians, including those who have had to flee their homeland (Ref. 01-901)

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Algeria Mohamed Ibaouene, a Christian convert from Islam in Algeria, was convicted of pressurising a Muslim to leave Islam. Mohamed said that the Muslim had actually tried to pressure him to return to Islam and had made the accusation only when he refused. Although his jail term was rescinded on appeal, his fine was doubled to 100,000 dinars (around £800).

Conversion from Islam is not illegal in Algeria, but evangelism by nonMuslims is a criminal offence, which covers various activities intended to “shake the faith” of a Muslim. Other official restrictions on Christian activities include the requirements to worship in a building registered for the purpose and to have all imported Christian literature approved by the authorities.

Yet despite these limitations, the Church in Algeria has seen remarkable growth in recent decades and now numbers in the tens of thousands, perhaps as many as 80,000. Many believers practise their faith openly, despite some concerns for their personal safety and possible legal or social problems.

Algerian law gives Christians the freedom to practise their faith so long as they respect public order and (Islamic) morality. It does however require denominations to be registered with the authorities, and many have had official approval withheld for long periods.

Give thanks to the Lord for the growth of the Church in Algeria and for converts who boldly confess Christ despite the dangers that they face. Pray for a relaxation of controls on Christian activities and for greater freedom for Christians to share their faith with Muslims.

Pray especially that the difficulties faced by churches in obtaining

Barnabas supports a nursery school for Christian children in Algeria

The militant Islamist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is active in Algeria and was responsible for a siege at a gas facility in January 2013 in which 37 foreigners were killed. Its presence and influence threatens the long-term safety of the country’s Christians.

registration may be eased, and that unregistered churches will continue to be left in peace. Pray too that the authorities will succeed in restraining the violence of Islamist militants and provide effective protection for Christians and other minorities.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Christian nursery school (Ref. 02-1045)

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Azerbaijan To be a follower of Jesus Christ in Azerbaijan is to live with crippling restrictions on one’s Christian activities. The authorities in this post-Soviet state regard religious groups with suspicion, and since independence in 1991 restrictions on Christians have been repeatedly tightened.

All churches must register with the government, but registering can be a lengthy and confusing process, and applications may be denied or left in limbo. In January 2013, Greater Grace Church in Baku lost its final appeal against a court decision that the church be liquidated for failing to re-register with the government. All religious groups have been required to re-register five times since 1992, providing the government with leverage against those it deems undesirable. Unregistered churches are particularly vulnerable to raids and harassment by the authorities and cannot open a bank account or rent property.

Christian literature is heavily controlled and may be subject to censorship or a burdensome approval process. Those caught producing or distributing unapproved literature may be fined up to nine years of the minimum wage or imprisoned for up to five years.

In April 2013, Pastors Zaur Balaev and Hinayat Shabanova successfully appealed against convictions for unregistered religious activity, and the heavy fines they had been given were overturned. But this favourable decision took place against a general backdrop of continuing repression.

Ask the Lord to strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ in Azerbaijan, so that they may stand firm despite the repression they face. Pray that He will surround vulnerable converts, who may face rejection on all sides, with His love.

Lift up also the significant number of expatriate Christians in

Barnabas Fund supports a Christian newspaper in Azerbaijan, where Christian literature is heavily controlled

Christians make up a small minority in Azerbaijan, which is 96% Muslim.

They may face discrimination from their neighbours; for example, it may be very difficult for them to find and keep a job. Converts from Islam face rejection by their families and pressure from their local communities. the country, who are prohibited from sharing their faith with others.

Pray that the hearts of those in authority will be changed, so that the repressive conditions in Azerbaijan may be eased and true religious freedom established.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Azerbaijan General Fund (Ref. 03-979) • Publication of Christian newspaper (Ref. 03-1117)

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Bangladesh Believers in Bangladesh have been afforded greater religious freedom than their Christian brothers and sisters in most other Muslim-majority contexts. But last year an intensifying Islamist campaign began to threaten the position of the country’s Christians.

Violent protests by Islamists erupted in February 2013 following trials of Islamist leaders relating to war crimes connected with the 1971 War of Independence. The protestors demanded that Bangladesh become an Islamic state, and massive rallies were staged calling for the introduction of “blasphemy laws”. Similar legislation in Pakistan causes much suffering amongst the Christian community.

Anti-Christian violence by Islamists emboldened by the protests followed; Christian homes were torched and churches threatened. On 6 June, a mob of around 60 Islamic extremists raided a predominantly Christian village before moving on to a nearby seminary, where they battered down the doors and severely beat the rector and a number of students.

Although the secular government continued to affirm the country’s secular character and commitment to religious freedom, Islamists also made significant political gains in 2013. Mayoral elections in five cities were won by the opposition with support from Islamists.

Christians have a low social status in Bangladesh, where they make up just 1% of a population that is 90% Muslim, and so they are easy targets Lift up to the Lord vulnerable Christians in Bangladesh whose lives have been made even more difficult by the growing influence of Islamism. Pray that the country’s secular character will be maintained and that effective protection will be provided for religious minorities. Pray also for Christian children; it

Barnabas Fund provides food parcels for needy Christians in Bangladesh, both in the short term after natural disasters, to which the country is particularly prone, and also on a long-term basis for those whose need is ongoing

for attack by Islamic extremists. They wield little political power, and police can sometimes be slow to assist them. They may also experience discrimination in education and employment, and as a result, many Christian families are very poor. emerged in 2012 that children of some Christian families were being taken from their families by deceit and sold to Islamic schools where they were forced to participate in Islamic activities on pain of violence. Ask the Lord to protect and strengthen the next generation of His people.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Scriptures distribution (Ref. 04-653) • Christian primary schools (Ref. 04-933) • Feeding Christian families (Ref. 04-1090)

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Victims of Violence Seven-year-old Anmol Gemethi set off for Sunday school on 17 November 2013 in the Dungerpur district of Rajasthan, India, and never came home again. The next day, his body was found floating in a local pond. He had been brutally tortured and murdered, apparently

by Hindu extremists motivated by his family’s Christian faith.

Many Christian communities in contexts of persecution live under constant threat of violence from extremist groups, their local community or the authorities. Barely a week goes by without another report of an attack by Boko Haram, an Islamist group in Nigeria. Christians also suffered violence from Islamist extremists in many other contexts last year, for example, Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh and the Central African Republic.

Christian gatherings in Sri Lanka are often violently disrupted by militant Buddhists, and Hindu extremists in India frequently carry out acts of anti-Christian violence.

When Christians are in a minority, hostility from their neighbours may turn violent. Mob attacks on Christian communities in Pakistan have become alarmingly commonplace. In Vietnam, five convert families were forced to flee violence from their animist neighbours.

Sometimes anti-Christian violence is officially sanctioned. In countries such as Eritrea, Iran and Sudan, Christians may be subject to violence, brutality or even torture at the hands of police or while in prison. Believers Lift up Christians whose lives have been torn apart by violence. Ask the Lord to bring peace where the threat of attack has created an atmosphere of vulnerability and uncertainty. Ask also that He will meet all the material needs of those who have been left impoverished and destitute after Barnabas Fund projects include: • Victims of Violence Fund (Ref. 00-345)

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After Indian church leader Pastor R.D. Joshua was attacked, Barnabas funded his medical costs, the repair of his motorcycle and the legal costs of his fight for justice

imprisoned for their faith in North Korea’s labour camps are abused, tortured and worked to death.

Barnabas Fund’s Victims of Violence Fund helps to rebuild shattered lives by providing medical care, legal assistance, places of refuge, and the small business start-up costs or vocational training that victims of antiChristian violence may need to help them rebuild their lives. being forced to flee their homes. Pray that vulnerable Christian communities will find in the Lord a mighty rock and refuge (Psalm 62:7) when they have no earthly safe havens left, and ask Him to give them the courage they need to maintain a loving witness for him in the face of violence.

Burma (Myanmar) The Burmese army is continuing to kidnap, rape, torture and kill Kachin Christians, apparently with impunity. This is despite a peace deal negotiated between the Burmese government and representatives of the predominantly Christian people group in May 2013, which it was hoped would bring an end to two years of intense suffering endured by our brothers and sisters.

Believers from the Kachin and other mainly Christian ethnic minority groups are persecuted for both their ethnicity and their faith and continue to suffer great oppression despite Burma’s recent moves towards political reform. In Kachin state, at least 64 women and girls have been raped, 66 churches and 200 villages have been destroyed and nearly 100,000 people have been displaced since July 2011, when the army broke a 17-year ceasefire. Two Kachin people were killed by the army just two weeks after the peace deal was agreed. Then, in early September 2013, women and girls were kidnapped and gang-raped by soldiers who attacked their village. Other villagers, including a church leader, were also kidnapped and were tortured.

Throughout Burma, the authorities have continued to disrupt Christian gatherings, restrict the publication of Christian literature and prevent the construction or repair of church buildings. The government actively promotes conversion to Buddhism. In some remote areas, children of very poor Christian families are targeted by special schools, known as Na Ta La, which offer them free food and education as well as Give thanks for the steadfast faith of Christians in Burma even as they face oppression and persecution. Pray that the army’s abuses in Kachin state will be halted and that genuine peace will be brought about there. Ask the Lord to comfort all those who are traumatised by what they have endured at the army’s hands, and

Barnabas Fund provided Kachin refugees with emergency aid, including shoes for 1,000 needy children

government jobs when they graduate. At the schools, they are prevented from practising their faith and are forced to shave their heads in accordance with the teachings of Buddhism. They may be beaten or threatened with military conscription if they resist. pray for protection for the many Christian orphans who are so vulnerable following the loss of their parents. Pray for the thousands of displaced Christians, including those from the Karen minority, who are still living in refugee camps.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Burma General Fund (Ref. 75-810) • Christian orphans (Ref. 75-821) • Aid for persecuted Christians in Burma (Ref. 75-763)

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Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR) has descended into chaos and anarchy since a group of Islamist militants, the Seleka, seized power in March 2013. Their uprising spread from the north, where CAR’s Muslim minority is concentrated, and installed their leader, Michel Djotodia, as the country’s first Muslim president. Only 15% of the population are Muslims; around half are Christians.

The consequences of the coup for the Christian majority have been disastrous. As Seleka militias have gone on the rampage, unchecked by the government, rape, murder and machete attacks have become common. Individual Christians and church leaders have been robbed, wounded or killed and whole villages abandoned; churches, businesses and homes have been destroyed. Christian areas are being targeted, while Muslim ones are generally spared.

There have been many harrowing stories of brutal violence. A funeral procession in the capital, Bangui, was attacked in April and a church leader gunned down as he appealed for calm. Fifteen people were killed and 1,000 displaced from 14 villages in Bouar in August, and the attackers threw the bodies of their victims, including a five-month-old baby, into a river. At least 100 people were murdered in the town of Bossangoa in September, and more than 30 (including at least two young children) in the village of Bombi Te in November. At the time of writing it is believed that more than 400,000 people have been displaced.

Cry out to the Lord for Christians in CAR as they live in deadly danger every day. Ask Him to comfort the bereaved, to heal the wounded, and to provide for those who have lost everything. Pray that He will be a sanctuary for those who are displaced within CAR or refugees in neighbouring

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The Islamist Seleka rebels have left a trail of destruction in CAR (Source: P.A.S. Hopfan NGO, Flickr)

Djotodia has suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly, declaring his intention to rule by decree. He has also said privately that he wants to make CAR an Islamic republic; in some areas Christians are already being forbidden to sell non-halal food. This ambition, and the large-scale breakdown of law and order, place the country’s Christians in an acutely perilous position. countries. Pray for the restoration of order and for the establishing of a wise, just and effective government. Ask especially that Islamist violence will cease and that the country will not become an Islamic state, or a haven and breeding-ground for terrorism.

China Zhang Yinan, a pastor of an unregistered church (“house church”) in China, was arrested on 3 June 2013 in a raid on his congregation. More than ten security officers burst into a meeting and took everyone to the police station. An order was issued to close down the church, but Pastor Zhang refused to sign it; the police also tried to pressure him into joining one of the statecontrolled churches.

This raid is typical of the attacks routinely launched by Chinese officials against the country’s flourishing house-church movement.

In an attempt to stem the growth of these independent groups, the government has detained many of their leaders, prohibited their worship and closed down their buildings. Believers are subject to severe restrictions, harassment and sometimes imprisonment.

The authorities also use third parties such as utility companies and landlords to pressure the churches and make their normal activities impossible.

This official hostility reflects the government’s suspicion of groups that are outside its control and that may therefore threaten national security or social harmony. Its goal appears to be to force the churches into the state-sponsored “patriotic religious associations”, which are the only Christian groups legally allowed to register and meet for worship.

They operate under the close supervision of the government, and their activities are limited and sometimes arbitrarily curtailed.

Thank God for the rapid growth of the church in China in recent decades and for the courage and fortitude of believers in the face of official suspicion and hostility. Pray for Pastor Zhang and other house-church leaders who are being persecuted by the authorities, and especially for those who are imprisoned because of their

Chinese house-church leader Zhang Yinan was arrested in June (Source: ChinaAid)

Chinese Christians suffer discrimination in employment; religious belief is incompatible with Communist Party membership, and so they are barred from some government jobs. Access to Christian literature is also restricted.

Reliable figures for Christians in China are not available. The authorities say that around 22 million worship in the state churches, while independent research puts the total number of Christians in the country at about 76 million. The real figure may be much higher.

Christian activities. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith and persevere in their ministry. Ask that the government will grant a greater measure of religious freedom and that discrimination against Christians and others on the basis of their beliefs will cease.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • China General Fund (Ref. 09-780) • Support for family of Alimujiang Yimiti, a convert from Islam in prison for his Christian activities (Ref. 09-879) • Support for Chinese evangelists (Ref. 09-1062)

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Cuba One night last year, a mob armed with sticks and baseball bats turned up at the home of Christian pastor Jesus Hernandez in the Havana province of Cuba and threatened him and his teenage son.

A week later, his church in Cotorro was shut down by state security agents. Another day, Pastor Yiorvis Bravo Denis saw his home in CamagĂźey surrounded by violent and abusive crowds sent by the authorities in an attempt to confiscate church property.

The last few years have seen a sharp rise in the number of statesponsored violations of religious freedom against Christians in Cuba.

Church leaders have been beaten up or detained and churches harassed.

Groups that are not registered with the state are particularly vulnerable; pastors have been arrested for preaching and congregations discouraged from gathering for worship. Christian human rights activists have been targeted and prevented from attending services.

Meanwhile, registered denominations have been granted greater liberty to meet for worship, share their faith and repair their buildings, as the Communist state tries to present itself as a defender of religious freedom.

But the government’s Office of Religious Affairs continues to regulate and monitor most Christian activities, including services, buildings and the printing and importing of literature. All groups must apply for official recognition and permission to hold meetings, and registration can be slow or denied altogether. Churches struggle to obtain authorisation to buy or build properties for worship, and Christian schools are not permitted.

Give thanks to the Lord for church growth in Cuba despite the restrictions and harassment that Christians have to endure there. Pray for Pastors Hernandez and Denis, and for all other church leaders who have suffered intimidation or violence at the hands of the authorities. Pray too that their congregations

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Churches in Cuba are subject to control by the Communist authorities (Source: Jungle_Boy, Flickr)

will have strength not to yield to threats. Ask that the Cuban authorities may relax their control over Christian activities, and that unregistered groups will be free to worship and serve God in peace.

Thank the Lord for the courage of Christian human rights activists, and pray for their protection.

Egypt This time last year, Egypt’s Islamist rulers appeared to be consolidating their grip on power, and the country’s Christian minority were facing the grim prospect of life in an Islamic state.

Violent attacks against them were increasing, and so also was the number of blasphemy cases, in which some Christians were jailed for allegedly insulting Islam. The regime was failing to offer them adequate protection or bring their assailants to justice.

The toppling of the Islamist president Mohammed Morsi on 3 July 2013 after a popular uprising raised hopes that the condition of Christians in Egypt might improve. In the short term, however, it was the trigger for a furious backlash against them by angry Islamists. At the height of the reprisals in mid-August, at least 16 Christians were killed and some 60 church buildings destroyed, as well as countless Christian homes and businesses. In the Islamist stronghold of Minya, Christian properties were marked for destruction with a black X. Sporadic attacks have continued since. In October four Christians, including two children, were killed in Cairo in a drive-by shooting that targeted wedding guests. Many Christians have been kidnapped for ransom and others forced to pay protection money to Islamists in the form of jizya, the traditional Islamic tax on Christians and Jews.

But the churches continue to hope for better times ahead. The draft Egyptian constitution published in December 2013 declares that freedom Pray for Egypt’s Christians as they worship and serve the Lord in the midst of tumultuous political change. Pray especially for those who have lost family or friends, homes or livelihoods, in the anti-Christian violence, asking that God will comfort them in their sorrow and enable them to endure their sufferings. Pray

Mariam Ashraf Messeiha, a Christian girl aged eight, was killed in a drive-by attack on a Christian wedding in 2013

of belief is “absolute” and grants freedom to practise religion and establish places of worship to Christians (and Jews) as well as Muslims.

It requires Parliament to issue a law that would relax the longstanding restrictions on the building and renovation of churches so as to allow Christians to worship freely. for the restoration of order in Egypt and that the unjust scapegoating of Christians by Islamists will stop. Give thanks that the draft constitution promises greater freedom and equality for Christians, and pray that its provisions will be put into practice.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Egypt General Fund (Ref. 11-910) • Feeding needy families (Ref. 11-220) • Children’s Bible clubs ministry (Ref. 11-1080)

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Eritrea The repressive Marxist government of Eritrea appears to have intensified its campaign against Christians in unregistered churches.

At least 150 were seized in October 2013 at a single prayer meeting in Maitemenai near the capital, Asmara.

Most denominations are illegal in Eritrea. In 2002 the authorities required all non-registered religious groups to register or cease their activities, but since then it has refused to grant any new registrations. The buildings of unregistered groups have been closed down, and their members are subject to arbitrary arrest and detention without due process of law.

Conditions in Eritrean prisons are notoriously harsh. Released detainees report being beaten and tortured, confined in cramped conditions such as shipping containers in intense heat and cold, and pressured to renounce their faith. Some Christians are imprisoned for long periods, and at least a few have died in custody.

Only three Christian denominations are officially recognised, and they have to submit reports of their activities to the authorities every three months.

The national leader of the largest group was appointed by the government, and his predecessor has been under house arrest since 2006.

These Eritrean Christian refugees are cared for at a sanctuary in Israel supported by Barnabas

Many Christians flee to nearby countries to escape the persecution. But as they try to reach Israel, they may be captured by people traffickers, who subject them to horrendous abuse and demand huge ransoms for their

release. Others are arrested and imprisoned in Egypt, where they face similar violations and deprivation.

Cry out to the Lord for our brothers and sisters locked up in Eritrea’s brutal prisons, that He may lighten their darkness and give them hope in their sufferings. Pray too for those who have escaped from the country, only to fall into the hands of persecutors elsewhere. Ask for wisdom and

grace for the leaders and members of the registered churches as they strive to serve the Lord faithfully in the face of intrusive monitoring and control. Pray that Eritrea’s Christians will soon be set free to worship God without the risk of reprisals.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Support for Christian prisoners and their families (Ref. 12-863) • Eritrean Christian refugees (Ref. 12-954)

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Children “Jessi was everything to us. Her killers didn’t know that Jessi was my life.” The father of Jessi Boulus, an Egyptian Christian girl who was shot dead by Islamists in August 2013 as she walked home from a Bible study class, expressed his grief at her loss. Jessi was ten years old.

The Bible gives children an honoured place in the Christian family. But where Christians are persecuted, it is often their children who suffer the most. Unable to defend themselves or escape, they are easy targets for violence. For example, Christian girls in Pakistan and Egypt are particularly vulnerable to being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and forced to convert to Islam and to marry their captors.

The classroom may be a dangerous place for children from persecuted Christian communities. They may be subjected to harassment or even violence and could be deliberately failed in their exams or pressured to convert to the majority religion. Many have no access to education because their parents, impoverished owing to discrimination, cannot afford school fees. Some parents have no choice but to send their children to work to help feed the family.

The authorities in most Central Asian countries try to prevent or discourage children from becoming Christians or practising their faith; for example, in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan the law makes it very difficult for children to take part in Christian activities. Christian children’s

Cry out to the Lord for needy children of Christian families around the world. Ask Him to comfort and protect them at times of violence and provide for the needs of those who have had to flee with their families. Pray for those who have no access to

Barnabas funds this Christian children’s magazine in Kyrgyzstan.

In some Central Asian countries, children face legal restrictions on taking part in Christian activities

camps in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were raided by the authorities in the summer of 2013.

Barnabas Fund’s School-Place Sponsorship Fund provides a loving, Christian education for over 7,000 children. We also assist many children displaced by persecution, for example, in Syria where we provide baby milk, children’s winter coats and trauma counselling. We fund Christian literature for children in Central Asia and the Middle East and Christian children’s clubs to strengthen them in their faith.

education or for whom the classroom is a place of trauma, and ask that a way would be made for them to study in a safe environment. Ask the Lord to guide persecuted children and enable them to grow up to be men and women of God.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Children’s Fund (Ref. 00-665) • Christian schools for Christian children (Ref. 00-794) • Sponsor a persecuted Christian child (Ref. 00-1147)

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Holy Land The land where Jesus Christ himself lived on earth is not an easy place to be a Christian. Believers in the Holy Land may experience hostility both from ultra-Orthodox Jews and from Palestinian Muslims.

Christians make up just 2% of the population of Israel, and are sometimes made to feel unwelcome by ultra-Orthodox Jews. At least 17 Christian sites have been vandalised in the last three years; two were daubed with slogans insulting Jesus Christ. Church leaders, nuns and seminary students in Jerusalem’s Old City are almost daily subjected to abuse by ultra-Orthodox youths. Messianic Jews are particularly vulnerable to harassment.

Around 52,000 Christians live in the Palestinian territories. Christians in Gaza have been under Hamas’ Islamist yoke since 2007. Whilst they are officially tolerated, they are subject to discrimination and threats by Muslim extremist vigilante groups. And Christian schools in Gaza are now vulnerable to closure, since Hamas banned coeducational institutions in 2013.

Conditions in the West Bank are also difficult, mainly owing to continued economic decline and societal discrimination against Christians.

Pray that the hostility from ultra-Orthodox Jews faced by Christians in Israel will subside so that they may live in peace with their neighbours, and pray that the Holy Spirit will enable them to be a loving witness for Christ despite the difficulties they face. Ask the Lord to meet the needs of our

One of the ways in which Barnabas supports needy believers in the Holy Land is by helping to fund the Christian school that these children attend

brothers and sisters in the West Bank, who may be crippled by restrictions and poverty, and to protect and uphold Christians in Gaza who are despised by Muslim extremists. Pray that Christian schools in Gaza will not be forced to close.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Holy Land Fund (Ref. 65-153) • Christian school in Bethlehem (Ref. 65-420)

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India A Christian community in northern India had almost finished constructing its church building when a 1,000-strong mob came to destroy it, before beating the pastor and other Christians.

The attack in August 2013 was part of an ongoing anti-Christian campaign in the area.

Although in many parts of India our brothers and sisters are left in peace, in some areas believers are vulnerable to abuse by supporters of the Hindutva movement, which strives to make the country religiously “pure”. Militant Hindus threaten and attack Christians and disrupt worship services; in 2013 one church group reported a total of 131 antiChristian attacks in the country in the previous year. Karnataka state, where persecution is particularly severe, saw the highest number of anti-Christian attacks.

The authorities often do little to help; frequently the police arrest the Christian victims of violence rather than the perpetrators. Since the horrific and sustained anti-Christian violence in Orissa state in 2007-8, many of the crimes have gone unpunished. In contrast, seven Christians were imprisoned for life in October 2013 for the murder of the militant Hindu leader whose death sparked the violence, despite an apparent lack of evidence against them and responsibility for the killing having been claimed by a Maoist group.

Praise God that, despite the harassment and violence faced by many Christians in India, the Church there is growing fast in some areas. Pray for Christians in India who face opposition, intimidation and violence from militant Hindus, and also for believers in Jammu and Kashmir who are similarly under threat

This church building in northern India was destroyed by an angry mob of Hindu extremists before its construction could be completed

Christian activities are restricted by “anti-conversion laws”, which are currently active in five states. These prohibit conversions by “force, fraud or allurement”, but they can be misused to prevent legitimate Christian evangelism.

Two-thirds of India’s Christians are Dalits, who are at the very bottom of the Indian caste system. Under Indian law, Dalits who are Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist are given certain advantages that are not available to Christian or Muslim Dalits.

from Muslim extremists. Ask that the repressive anticonversion laws will be relaxed. Pray for healing for those still feeling the effects of the violence in Orissa, which has continued sporadically since 2008, and pray that justice will be done for Christian victims of violence.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Christian schooling for Dalit Christian children (Ref. 21-510) • Victims of anti-Christian violence in Orissa (Ref. 21-723) • Boys’ hostel, Orissa (Ref. 21-1068)

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Indonesia Pastor Bernhard Maukar was leading a service at his church in West Java in 2013 when it was invaded by a gang of 50 Muslim extremists, who vandalised the building and assaulted him. Instead of arresting the attackers, the authorities jailed Pastor Bernhard for three months for holding services without a permit. The church’s attempts to obtain a permit had been blocked by local officials.

Indonesia’s Christians comprise 12-20% of the population in the country that is home to more Muslims than any other in the world, and believers are coming under increasing pressure from Islamists. Local authorities often allow militant Islamist groups to commit anti-Christian violence with impunity, sometimes even collaborating with them, and they also bow to Islamist pressure by refusing building permits for churches. In Aceh province, local authorities implement sharia law, making life particularly difficult for Christians. Five Christians in Aceh were arrested in September 2013 accused of influencing 70 Muslims to become Christians.

The central government also fails to protect Christians. Although the Supreme Court ordered that two sealed-off church buildings in West Java be reopened, the national government has failed to enforce these decisions. Various laws impede the public expression of Christian faith, evangelism and the construction of churches.

Christian schools also came under pressure in 2013. Influential Muslim scholars issued a fatwa against Christian schools in Central Java. Then, Give thanks for the faith of our brothers and sisters in Indonesia, where Christian work is continuing despite the increasing threat from a vocal and violent Islamism. Give thanks that many Muslims are coming to Christ. Pray for strength and peace for congregations who have been denied Barnabas Fund projects include: • Church planters (Ref. 22-828)

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Vulnerable congregations need strong leadership. This photograph shows one of the 38 church-planters in Java that Barnabas supports, with his family

in August, two petrol bombs were thrown into the compound of a Christian school in Jakarta. Christian students can face harassment at other schools; in September, a nine-year-old Christian boy was too frightened to go back to school after a teacher pressurised him to convert to Islam. building permits. Lift up also the few Christian local officials who have been elected in Muslim-majority areas and who experience intense opposition. Pray for a return to the harmonious relations between Muslims and Christians that existed in most of Indonesia a generation ago.

Iran Hassan Rouhani became President of Iran in June 2013 promising to release political prisoners and uphold the rights of religious minorities. There were some early signs of encouragement. Two Christian women, Maryam Jalili and Mitra Rahmati, were among at least 80 prisoners of conscience and political prisoners freed in September; while on 30 October, an appeals court overturned the ten-year jail term given to Mostafa Bordbar for his Christian activities.

But the harassment and imprisonment of Christians, mainly converts from Islam, continues. On 20 October, four Christians were sentenced to 80 lashes each for drinking communion wine, and in one of the most high-profile cases of the year, Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini’s eight-year jail term was upheld on appeal in August. On 3 November, he was transferred to one of the deadliest prisons in the world. Prisoners of conscience are said to be sent there to disappear; murders or unexplained deaths are a regular occurrence.

Church services continue to be raided, and even the historic Christian groups recognised under Iran’s constitution face discrimination and harassment. A church in Tehran was closed in May over its refusal to stop holding services in Farsi, the Iranian national language spoken by the Muslim majority. The Iranian Church comprises historically Christian non-Persian groups, such as the Armenians and Assyrians, who have

Praise God for the release of Maryam, Mitra and Mostafa, and pray that more Christian prisoners will be freed. Lift up to the Lord those who remain in detention; pray that He will give them the grace to withstand their ordeal. Give thanks also for the more moderate stance of President Rouhani. Pray that he will

Like other jailed Christians, Saeed Abedini has been denied medical treatment and subjected to threats, beatings and pressure to renounce his faith (Source: American Center for Law and Justice)

their own languages, plus a large number of recent converts from Islam and their children. The latter suffer the worst persecution.

At the time of writing there are thought to be over 100 Christians languishing in Iranian jails, some of whom are held without charge. Some are eventually prosecuted on pretexts such as “threatening national security”, while others have to pay exorbitant sums for bail.

A UN human rights report said that although there had been “a number of positive signals” from President Rouhani, there was “no sign of improvement” in areas previously raised as matters of “serious concern”.

deliver on his election promises and uphold the rights of Iranian Christians, relieving their persecution and ending discrimination against them. As many Iranian Muslims continue to turn to Christ, pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage them in their faith.

Barnabas Fund supports a number of projects to help Iranian Christians. We cannot mention them individually, but donations to the Iran General Fund (Ref. 19-940) will be used for these projects

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Iraq In July 2013, the body of a Christian man who had been kidnapped six weeks earlier was found inside his truck. Salem Dawood Coca’s vehicle was booby-trapped with explosives; it is thought his captors tried to force him to carry out a suicide bombing but he had refused. The kidnappers had contacted Salem’s family, calling him a “Christian infidel”.

Anti-Christian bloodshed in Iraq greatly intensified following the 2003 US-led invasion and has continued ever since. For example, in 2013 a church in Baghdad was fired at by masked men who seriously wounded two security guards; Christian-owned businesses in the area had been the target of bombings the previous day.

The Christian population has been reduced to a quarter of the size it was in 1990. Hundreds of thousands of believers have fled their homes; many took refuge in Syria or Lebanon, while others are internally displaced in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, which once provided relative peace and stability. But Iraqi Christian refugees are no longer safe in Syria, as anti-Christian violence threatens all Christians in the country, while Iraqi Kurdistan is now also seeing escalating violence. Iraq’s Christians have few safe havens left.

Some Muslims have expressed support for Christians. In October 2013, on the third anniversary of a deadly anti-Christian attack, Muslims held Pray for Iraqi Christians, who are so endangered both in their homeland and in the places in which they have sought refuge. Ask that, even as they struggle to find a safe haven, the Lord’s faithfulness will be their shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4) against the violence they face. Give thanks that some

Barnabas supports our needy brothers and sisters in Iraq by helping to provide them with medical care

a vigil at the targeted church and urged their beleaguered Christian compatriots not to flee Iraq.

Muslims recognise the rightful place of our brothers and sisters in Iraq, which was home to believers for centuries before the arrival of Islam. Pray that this attitude will prevail over that of those who seek to harm Christians.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Iraq General Fund (Ref. 20-227) • Feeding Christians in Iraq (Ref. 20-246)

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Kazakhstan Appeals from his supposed victim did not stop the Kazakh authorities from detaining Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev on charges of “inflicting harm to health”. The mother of a member of the pastor’s church had said that her daughter had suffered psychological harm from attending services. Her daughter has repeatedly protested that Pastor Kashkumbayev is innocent. The pastor was briefly released in October 2013, only to be rearrested minutes later and told that he is now being investigated under charges of extremism.

In April 2013 Kazakhstan’s president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, claimed that “religious freedom is fully secured” in the country.

In fact Christians, who comprise at least 25% of the population, endure restrictions on sharing their faith and controls on religious literature. All churches must register with the authorities, who require that cumbersome criteria be fulfilled before registration is granted.

Unregistered churches may be subject to raids, and church leaders and their members given heavy fines.

One raid, on an Easter Sunday service in 2013 at a home in Zhaskent, was so traumatic that an elderly church member subsequently suffered a heart attack. The church’s leader was fined the equivalent of six months of his pension. The authorities also liquidated a Baptist seminary in 2013, and an unprecedented court ruling ordered the destruction of Christian literature that had been seized from an evangelist. This ruling was later overturned.

Give thanks for the faith of Christians in Kazakhstan as the authorities’ definition of what constitutes an acceptable way to follow Jesus Christ becomes more narrow. Pray that they will be able to rejoice in the true freedom they have in Him despite the earthly repression they face. Ask that the international community

Christian literature is heavily controlled in Kazakhstan. Barnabas funded the production of these booklets in the Kazakh language

“Non-traditional” religious groups have recently reported increased discrimination. Converts from Islam also experience pressure from their families and communities to renounce their faith. will hold the state to account for its violations of religious freedom, and that members of unregistered churches will be able to worship in peace. Pray for the release of Pastor Kashkumbayev, and ask the Lord also to sustain and protect him as he endures wrongful imprisonment.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Kazakhstan General Fund (Ref. 24-775) • Children’s Christian magazines in Central Asia (Ref. 80-664) • Support for church-planters in Kazakhstan (Ref. 00-478 Evangelists' Support Fund)

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Pastors and Evangelists “We have our eternal laws which we can’t violate. We are ready to take sufferings, fines and even death, but we’ll be faithful to God’s law.” Nikolai Varushin, a pastor in Belarus, was speaking after his unregistered house church was raided last year. The police claimed to be responding to a complaint from neighbours. Nikolai was subsequently fined one month’s local wages.

This story illustrates the experience of many brave pastors and evangelists across the world: facing hostility from their communities and the authorities, yet faithfully obeying God’s calling to share the Gospel of Christ and build up His Church. Their work is often lonely, under-resourced, unsupported and dangerous.

Pastors and evangelists are sometimes violently attacked for carrying out their ministry. In Hyderabad, India, on 4 June 2013 a mob of Hindu extremists accused a group of pastors of forcibly converting people and beat some of them so badly that they needed hospital treatment.

The security forces may then blame the church leaders for the violence; when Indonesian pastor Palti Panjaitan warded off a blow from a Muslim extremist during an attack on his church, he himself was charged with assault. In some contexts, such as Syria, where extremists want to intimidate Christians, their leaders are deliberately targeted for violence in order to send a clear message that Christians are not wanted.

Thank God for the ministry of pastors, church-planters and evangelists who serve Him in the face of hostility and violence.

Pray that He will equip them for their work, empowering them by His Spirit and meeting all their material needs. Pray that they may be protected from attacks by the majority community, harassment

Pastor Saleem (front, centre), a Pakistani pastor supported by Barnabas, has seen around 350 families join his congregation

Barnabas Fund contributes to the living costs of hundreds of Christian workers serving in contexts of pressure and persecution in their homelands or among their own people group. “Dilfusa”, an evangelist in Central Asia, was sacked from her job because of her ministry, but with support from Barnabas she is able to focus on proclaiming the Gospel full-time. by the authorities, and unjust penalties for fulfilling their ministry.

Praise the Lord for the fruit of their ministry in lives transformed by the Gospel of Christ and churches strengthened to face persecution with courage and faithfulness.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Pastors’ Support Fund (Ref. 00-477) • Evangelists’ Support Fund (Ref. 00-478)

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Kenya Two pastors in the coastal region of Kenya were murdered in the space of two nights in October 2013. Charles Matole was found in his church in Mombasa, shot in the head from behind; he had begun to receive death threats after he led several evangelistic meetings in the city. Ebrahim Kidata was left in bush in Kilifi, having apparently been strangled; he was planning to plant churches in the Vitengeni area.

The deaths of these pastors highlight the threat faced by Christians in the coastal region, where many of the country’s Muslims live. Members of the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab have taken refuge there after being driven out of Somalia by Kenyan-led African Union forces, and they have carried out a number of gun, grenade and bomb attacks against local congregations. In one incident last year, 15 people were injured when an explosive device was thrown into a church compound near Likoni in June. Al-Shabaab was also responsible for the siege at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi in September, when the militants murdered many of their non-Muslim hostages.

Although Christians and Muslims generally live at peace in Kenya, some converts from Islam to Christianity have been threatened with violence or death by Muslim leaders. Like many converts, they are also liable to harassment and persecution by their own families. Christians suffer some discrimination in Muslim-majority areas, and Muslims are seeking to Islamise these regions. The constitution allows Muslims to have certain civil cases decided by Islamic (Kadhi) courts.

Pray for Christians in the coastal region of Kenya as they live with the threat of violence from Islamist militants. Ask the Lord to watch over them as they gather in His Name, and especially over their leaders. Pray for comfort and healing for those bereaved or injured in recent attacks. Pray that the Kenyan authorities will succeed

Barnabas supports a care home in Kenya for Christian girls at risk in the context of traditional African religions

in defeating the destructive campaign of al-Shabaab. Ask that converts from Islam to Christianity may be left undisturbed to worship and serve God in peace, and that attempts further to Islamise society and the legal system will not succeed.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Cana Girls Rescue Home (Ref. 25-663) • Support for Kenyan missionaries (Ref. 25-017)

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Kyrgyzstan In the past year Kyrgyzstan has tightened up its already repressive Religion Law. New rules on the production, distribution and importing of religious literature have imposed a higher level of censorship on Christian materials. Groups that are seen as “nontraditional” and therefore suspect, such as Protestant Christians, are most likely to face problems, and if their literature is branded as “extremist”, they may find themselves banned altogether.

The Religion Law of 2009 requires every congregation to apply for registration. This is a cumbersome and difficult process and requires the church to have 200 founding members. Unregistered religious activity is banned, as well as worship in homes and in public locations.

Registered groups are subject to intrusive monitoring by the authorities, who may attend services, take photographs and ask questions.

Religious literature must be examined by state “experts” for possible extremism, and its distribution in public places is prohibited. The law also restricts evangelism and forbids the involvement of children in religious groups.

Kyrgyzstan is 83% Muslim, and the Christian minority of around 15% is subject to discrimination; Muslims sometimes influence village elders to make life difficult for them. In particular, Christians are often refused land for the burial of their relatives. Among the ethnic Kyrgyz, leaving Islam is seen not only as apostasy but also as a betrayal of one’s Kyrgyz identity and family; converts often face severe pressure and Pray for Christians in Kyrgyzstan as they seek to maintain their worship and witness under the pressure of restrictive regulations. Pray especially for those churches that are unfairly regarded as extreme, that they may have wisdom in their relations with the authorities and win their favour. Ask

These Christians in Kyrgyzstan belong to a church planted by evangelists who received support from Barnabas

threats from their relatives and communities. Many Christians have emigrated, reducing congregational numbers and depriving churches of leadership. that the Religion Law may be relaxed or repealed and for greater freedom for Christians and others in Kyrgyzstan. Pray for those congregations facing difficulty in obtaining official recognition and for those depleted by emigration. Ask the Lord to raise up effective leadership for the churches.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Kyrgyzstan General Fund (Ref. 26-849) • Church buildings (Ref. 26-895)

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Laos “Those Christians have to renounce their faith or they have to leave the village!” When 82 residents of a village in rural Laos accepted Christ and three of their neighbours then died of unrelated causes within a short space of time, villagers called an animist witch doctor, who said that the Christians’ faith had angered the ancestors. Local officials then threatened severe consequences if the Christians did not give up their faith, and the believers were made to pay for the travel expenses of the officials and for the costs of the funerals.

Christians in Laos, who make up between 2 and 3 per cent of the population, often suffer persecution from village and district officials. In some areas Christians, particularly those belonging to ethnic minorities, suffer harassment, threats and detention or are denied access to education and medical care. Those who refuse to give up their faith may be expelled from their villages.

Although the country’s constitution provides for religious freedom, local authorities do not uphold this, and the central government, which promotes Buddhism (the majority religion) as an element of the country’s identity, rarely overrules them. Christianity is considered by all levels of government to be a threat to national unity. Printing Bibles is illegal, and nearly all Christian activities are subject to a laborious process of governmental approval. Permission for legal activities such as importing Christian literature, evangelising and building churches is often denied. In areas where permission to build a church has not been given and local

Give thanks for the many new Christians in Laos, and ask the Lord to strengthen them in their faith so that they may endure any opposition they face. Pray especially for converts in rural areas who may be denied the freedoms the law affords them, and

A Christian home in Laos. Christians in the country’s rural areas are particularly subject to persecution by the local authorities

authorities also forbid Christians from gathering in private homes, meeting together is very difficult.

ask the Lord to provide for the material needs of any who are forced to leave their homes. Ask also that Christian leaders in Laos will be equipped to shepherd their congregations through any trials that they may face.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Laos General Fund (Ref. 90-740) • Training for Christian leaders in Laos (Ref. 90-1060)

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Libya Last year around 50 Egyptian Christians were arrested in the Libyan city of Benghazi on accusations of sharing their faith. They were initially seized by Islamist militants, who shaved their heads and tortured them with beatings and electric shocks. One of them later died in prison. Their church was also attacked twice and their minister beaten up.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Christianity is no more welcome in Libya after the Arab Spring than under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi before it. The churches are composed almost entirely of expatriate Christians, but many have left in the face of violent attacks and the growing strength of both political and militant Islamism. The very small number of indigenous believers, who are converts from Islam, suffer intense pressure from their families and communities and are severely isolated.

Although the Islamist Justice and Construction Party performed only moderately in the first general election in 2012, they have since been gathering support, and they played a decisive role in the selection of Libya’s prime minister. Meanwhile, North Africa is now troubled by numerous militias, armed and mobile, who are seeking to seize control of whole areas by military means. A growing Islamist insurgency is threatening Libya’s fragile security, and the government appears powerless to dislodge the militants from their strongholds in the east of the country. It has also proved unable to prevent attacks by Islamists on Christians and other minorities.

Cry out to the Lord for Libya’s Christians in their very unstable country, that He may renew their strength and hope day by day. Pray for their protection from hostile and violent Islamists, and particularly for the safety of converts from Islam. Pray too that the progress of Islamism will be checked and for the

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Islamist militants seized and tortured 50 Christians in the Libyan city of Benghazi (Source: Dennixo, Wikimedia Commons)

The draft Libyan constitution provides a measure of freedom and equality for non-Muslims, and some of the restrictions imposed by the Gaddafi regime have been relaxed. But evangelism among Muslims continues to be prohibited in practice. establishing of a just and peaceful society in Libya with religious freedom and equality for all. Pray for improved security in areas where militias are still active, to relieve the pressure on individual Christians and churches.

Maldives The Maldives, seen by many tourists as an island paradise, is one of the most intolerant Muslim nations in the world. No non-Muslim can become a citizen or hold any public position, including in politics or the judiciary. Civil law is based on Islamic sharia, and public statements contrary to Islam are forbidden.

Christians (who number less than 0.2% of the population) and other non-Muslims can worship only in private, and there are no non-Muslim places of worship or public worship services. Expatriate Christians may not encourage Maldivian citizens to participate in Christian activities.

Spreading any religion other than Islam is illegal and punishable by house arrest or by imprisonment for up to five years.

Muslims who convert to Christianity are liable to lose their citizenship.

Maldivian Christians suffer surveillance, ostracism and discrimination, and they are required to educate their children as Muslims. Foreign Christians may be deported for carrying Christian literature or having Christian symbols.

The country’s first democratically elected president, who was seen as a liberal, was forced to resign in February 2012 after Muslims who favoured a stricter interpretation of Islam put pressure on the government. Since then the authorities have tightened their control of religious practice, and anti-Christian rhetoric by politicians has increased. Those who call

Pray for a new dawn of freedom and equality in the Maldives, and that the brave voices that are lifted to oppose intolerance will be heeded. Pray too that international pressure will be brought to bear on the Maldivian government. Pray especially for the country’s Christians, both local and expatriate, that they will find

The Maldives is no island paradise for the Christians who live there (Source: FloBo76, Flickr)

publicly for religious tolerance themselves suffer harassment or are subjected to extra-judicial detention.

ways to witness for Christ despite the crippling restrictions laid upon them. Ask for the Lord’s special blessing on those Muslims who choose to follow Christ knowing how much they may lose as a result.

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Mali Until early 2012 Mali was reckoned to be a model of stability and tolerance among African nations. The small Christian minority (around 5%) lived on good terms with the Muslim majority and were allowed to practise their faith in peace. But then the country was plunged into a desperate crisis, with disastrous consequences for many of its Christians.

The government was toppled in an inconclusive military coup on 22 March 2012, and ethnic Tuareg rebels then seized control of northern Mali. But their uprising was rapidly hijacked by the militant Islamist group Ansar Dine, which is linked to al-Qaeda. The Islamists imposed a harsh version of sharia law in the north, including floggings, amputations and executions, and they were advancing into the south before French forces intervened and drove them out of the country.

Civilian rule was re-established in the summer of 2013, but the north remains unstable.

Christians were specifically targeted by the Islamists. All the churches in the cities of Gao and Timbuktu were destroyed, and baptisms were banned. Many Christians fled to the capital, Bamako, leaving all their belongings behind, and have been living in precarious conditions in refugee camps.

Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the plight of the displaced Christians has been worsened by food shortages resulting Cry out to the Lord for the displaced Christians of Mali in their vulnerability and need, that He will provide for them. Pray for the restoration of stability in the north of the country and that our brothers and sisters will soon be able to return home and start to rebuild their lives. Pray too for comfort and healing

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Barnabas has helped Christians displaced from northern Mali with food aid

from a drought in the Sahel region. A poor harvest caused food prices to treble in some areas, and malnutrition rates have been high. for those Christians who were attacked by Islamists or who saw their churches destroyed. Pray for the relief of poverty and hunger throughout the country and that it may be strong enough to resist further Islamist incursions.

Women In 2013, a horrific story emerged following the occupation of al-Qusair, Syria by rebel fighters. Mariam, a 15-year-old Christian girl, was seized by Islamist militants and forcibly “married” to one of them, who raped her and then repudiated her. This ordeal was repeated for 15 days by 15 different men before Mariam, who by then was psychologically disturbed, was killed.

The honoured place in God’s family afforded to Christian women in the Bible contrasts sharply with the treatment they receive in some places of persecution. The sexual abuse of women believers is sometimes used as a weapon against Christian communities. For example, an Islamic cleric has said that the rape of non-Sunni-Muslim women in Syria is “legitimate”. In Burma (Myanmar), women from predominantly Christian ethnic minorities are often subjected to sexual abuse by the army. And a Christian woman in Somalia was kidnapped and sexually abused by suspected al-Shabaab militants because of her faith in August 2013.

Christian women are often persecuted for both their faith and their gender. Under sharia, a Christian woman is seen as worth only a quarter as much as a Muslim man. In countries such as Pakistan and Egypt, Christian women and girls are vulnerable not only to kidnap and to sexual abuse but to (permanent) forced marriage and forced conversion to Islam. Christian women may also be forced to comply with Islamic norms or with those of other cultures; for example, in Sudan, they may be forced to wear the hijab on pain of corporal punishment or imprisonment. Some Cry out to the Lord for persecuted Christian women. Pray for protection for them, and especially for those who have to go out to work in dangerous contexts, for example as domestic workers in the homes of families from the majority community. Ask that the authorities in Pakistan and Egypt, where forced marriage

Christian women and girls in Pakistan and elsewhere are vulnerable to kidnap, sexual abuse, forced marriage and forced conversion to Islam

Muslims consider all Christian women to be “immoral” and therefore legitimate targets for abuse. is common, will do more to prevent it and to protect women believers. Ask that the Holy Spirit will enable persecuted Christian women to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10) despite their vulnerability to abuse.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Pakistan – Christian lawyers helping abused Christians (Ref. 41-465) • Sri Lanka – Income generation for war widows (Ref. 85-1063) • Sudan – Christian prison ministry (Ref. 48-575) • Pakistan – Sewing and literacy centre for women (Ref. 41-1046)

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Nepal In October 2013, a Christian leader in Nepal was called in the early hours of the morning to the home of a Hindu family to whom he had been witnessing. He never returned. As Debalel (36) was praying for one of the family, a man who had claimed he needed prayer for healing, the man left the room and returned with an iron rod and a sharp curved knife. Debalel’s attacker beat him with the rod before slitting his throat.

Hindu extremist groups, such as the Nepal Defence Army (NDA), are intent on making Nepal a Hindu nation, as it was until 2006. Popular support for this cause appears to be growing; a Hindu nationalist party made significant election gains in 2013. The NDA has been known to threaten church leaders, but violence such as that meted out to Debalel is rare.

Hindu extremists see the growth of the Church in Nepal as a threat.

Although the 2011 census recorded fewer than 376,000 Christians, church leaders protested that this figure is a gross underestimate and that there are now more than 2.5 million Christians in the country (around 9% of the population). Most new Christians are converts from Hinduism, and so face ostracism from their communities and, occasionally, hostility and discrimination.

Hindus, who cremate their dead, oppose the rights of Christians to bury theirs. In a welcome move in early 2013, the government set up a special commission to find burial plots for bereaved Christian families.

Pray that the place of Nepali Christians in their homeland will remain secure and that the influence of Hindu extremist parties will not prevail in the country. Give thanks for the government’s move to preserve the rights of Christians by providing burial plots, and ask that it will do more to

Church records suggest that there are over 2.5 million Christians in Nepal

protect the Christian minority. Pray that when the long-awaited constitution is finally drafted, it will provide for religious freedom for all. Pray for protection for church leaders and other Christians vulnerable to attack by Hindu extremists.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Nepal General Fund (Ref. 89-992) • Bible training by correspondence course (Ref. 89-946) • Christian student fellowships (Ref. 89-1089)

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Nigeria The lives of many Christians in Nigeria are being taken or torn apart by the ruthless campaign of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

It is mounting attacks on various targets, including the security forces, and it has openly declared its intention of driving Christians from the North of the country, where it wants to establish an Islamic state. The group has not only engaged in its own brutal acts of violence; it has also exploited existing tensions to encourage other Muslims to attack Christians.

Anti-Christian atrocities have become common, and they occur not only in the mainly Muslim North, but also in the Middle Belt, where Christians and Muslims are roughly equal in number. Nearly 1,000 Christians were killed in 2012, and attacks are continuing on almost a daily basis.

Incidents in the past year have included raids on homes and villages that left dozens dead and scores of houses destroyed, the abduction of Christian girls who were then coerced into renouncing their faith, the bombing and torching of churches, and an attack on Christians at a bus station that killed hundreds. Despite its efforts to stop the violence, the government has not succeeded in effectively containing it, or in bringing those responsible to justice.

An Islamist agenda is also being enforced by the authorities in some parts of the North. Twelve states have sharia in at least some Muslim-majority areas, and some of these interpret it strictly. Non-Muslims are subject to certain sharia practices (such as the separation of men and women in Pray for those Christians injured or bereaved in the many attacks

by Boko Haram and other militant Muslims in Nigeria, that the Lord will bind up their wounds, comfort their sorrows and give them hope for the future. Pray that the Nigerian authorities will succeed in providing better security for Christians. Give thanks

Luke Yohanna Kpagyang (35) was killed by Muslim attackers in October 2013, along with his wife, two daughters and parents

public), and some states fund sharia-enforcement groups. Christians in the North may be denied building permits for new church buildings or suffer other forms of discrimination. that the USA has recently designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation; pray that this will help bring an end to the group's violent campaign. Pray too for greater religious freedom in Northern states, that Christians may not be subjected to sharia and to discrimination.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Victims of violence in Nigeria (Ref. 39-772)

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North Korea Executed by machine-gun fire in a stadium filled with 10,000 people: that was the terrible fate on 3 November 2013 of people caught in possession of a Bible in Wonsan. Public executions of this kind took place in six other North Korean cities on that day, killing 80 people.

Christians were executed alongside citizens accused of distributing pornography or being involved in prostitution.

The isolated, oppressive and starving North Korea is regularly named as the worst country in which to be a Christian. All North Koreans are expected to follow Juche (self-reliance), an extreme cult of personality that venerates the ruling Kim family. Other belief systems, especially Christianity, are viewed as a threat to the regime’s authority, and while religious freedom is theoretically protected by law, it does not exist in reality.

It is illegal to be a Christian or take part in any Christian activity.

The security forces sometimes set up fake prayer meetings to catch Christians, who have to practise their faith in great secrecy. Those caught may be detained in prison labour camps, where they are typically treated worse than other inmates. They are abused, tortured and worked to death. Some are executed. Tens of thousands of Christians are thought to be languishing in these concentration campstyle centres.

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have fled to China and South Korea over the last decade to escape persecution and famine, but the Praise God that He is building His Church in North Korea despite the government’s brutal efforts to eradicate it. Only He knows the number of believers, but there are thought to be several hundred thousand. Pray that the Lord will sustain them and add to their number daily those who are being saved (Acts

Hungry children in North Korea receive free bread from a bakery supported by Barnabas Fund, which provides employment for needy Christians

Chinese government routinely repatriates them. Returnees suspected of becoming Christians face the harshest treatment.

2:47). Lift up Christians who are suffering for their faith in labour camps. Pray that the Lord will be their strength and shield (Psalm 28:7a). And pray for a political breakthrough in North Korea that will result in justice and freedom for its beleaguered citizens.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • North Korea General Fund (Ref. 86-545) • Christian bakeries project (Ref. 86-642)

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Pakistan “I came [to church] in the morning with my whole family for prayers and worship but returned home with no-one. My mum took her last breath in my arms; my dad and sister died.”

Teenager Shaloom Naeem’s family were among more than 100 Christians who died in the deadliest-ever attack on Pakistan’s Christian minority. All Saints Church in Peshawar was targeted by the Pakistani Taliban in a double suicide bombing on 22 September 2013. Many of those killed and injured were children.

Outbreaks of violence against entire Christian communities in response to international events or personal disputes are becoming disturbingly frequent.

On 9 March 2013, 178 homes and 75 shops belonging to Christians were destroyed in an attack on Joseph Colony, Lahore, by a 3,000-strong Muslim mob over a false blasphemy allegation against a local Christian.

The pernicious “blasphemy laws”, which prescribe the death penalty for “defiling the name of Muhammad”, are often used to settle personal scores. Christians are particularly susceptible to malicious, false accusation by Muslims and can spend years languishing in prison waiting for their cases to be heard.

Christian women and girls in Pakistan are especially vulnerable.

Hundreds are kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam and marry their Muslim abductors every year.

Pray for Shaloom and all those who lost loved ones in the attack on All Saints Church. Give thanks for the strong statements of condemnation by the country’s political and Islamic leaders, and also for the solidarity shown by Muslims who rushed to hospitals to donate blood to help save the lives of wounded Christians. Pray

Shaloom Naeem said, “Though my entire family is dead I am not afraid to go to the church. We should thank God for His great love”

The prospects for the Christian community are poor, as discrimination keeps them trapped in poverty and illiteracy. Many are “bonded labourers”, akin to slaves; they cannot afford to send their children to school, and thus the next generation cannot break free from the cycle. that the authorities will provide more protection for Christian communities and churches and make every effort to bring those responsible for attacks to justice. Ask the Lord to protect Christians from false blasphemy allegations and also women and girls from violation by Muslim men.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Pakistan General Fund (Ref. 41-980) • Feeding Christian families (Ref. 41-331) • Christian lawyers helping abused Christians (Ref. 41-645) • Primary schools for deprived Christian children (Ref. 41-948)

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Philippines Christians in the southern Philippines continue to be under threat from militant Islamic groups. In June 2013, around 160 Christians were forced to flee when three villages were attacked by around 300 armed Muslims who fired mortars. Afterwards, the Christians felt that their lives would be endangered if they returned to their homes.

Then, in September, Islamist militants laid siege to Zamboanga, a Christian-majority city, killing at least six people and holding more than 100 residents as human shields. Two church leaders were amongst the hostages.

The Philippines is around 85% Christian. Islamist groups have been fighting for decades to establish a separate Islamic state in Mindanao, in the south, where many Muslims live. In November 2012, the government signed an agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to create an area called “Bangsamoro”, to replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The decision that sharia law will be enforced in Bangsamoro raises concerns that the agreement paves the way for an Islamic sub-state.

When Christians in Mindanao objected to a similar agreement that was signed in 2008, the MILF responded with violence, killing around 400 Christians and displacing some 750,000. Following previous agreements, some militants have simply formed a new, more extreme group and carried on fighting.

Pray that sharia law will not be forced on non-Muslims in Bangsamoro. Ask the Lord to protect converts from Islam living in the newly-created area, who could be vulnerable under the Islamic apostasy law. Pray for peace and healing for those traumatised in attacks by Islamist militants, and ask the Lord Barnabas Fund projects include: • Disaster relief in the Philippines (Ref. 42-845)

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Barnabas Fund provided emergency aid to Christian families affected by Typhoon Bopha

The Philippines is very prone to natural disasters; Typhoon Haiyan, which killed at least 5,600 people, devastated the lives of many of our Christian brothers and sisters in 2013.

to change the hearts of their attackers so that they will no longer seek to harm our brothers and sisters. Pray that He will draw near to comfort those affected by Typhoon Haiyan, whether they are grieving for loved ones or struggling following the destruction of their homes and businesses.

Saudi Arabia Muslims who become Christians in Saudi Arabia, one of the most rigid and hardline states in the world, are officially punishable by death. When a Muslim woman gave her life to Jesus Christ in 2012, she fled the country and managed to escape to safety in Sweden.

But the authorities detained two of her colleagues, who had helped her, and sentenced them in May 2013. One, a Lebanese man, received a six-year jail term and 300 lashes for helping the woman to become a Christian, and the other, a Saudi, was given two years’ imprisonment and 200 lashes for aiding her escape.

Saudi Arabia makes no provision for religious freedom. Its official religion is Sunni Islam; its constitution is the Quran and the traditions about Muhammad; and its legal system is based on the government’s strict interpretation of sharia. There is no separation of state and religion, and all the country’s citizens must be Muslims. School textbooks, sermons and fatwas promote hatred and violence against Christians and Jews.

Blasphemy, as well as apostasy, officially carries a death sentence. No non-Muslim places of worship are permitted, and the small number of Saudi Christians must practise their faith in extreme secrecy. Although expatriate Christians, who are far greater in number, are permitted to worship in private, their meetings may be raided by the mutawaah (religious police), and they may be harassed, detained or deported. The mutawaah ruthlessly enforce restrictions on behaviour, and ordinary citizens may also act as anti-Christian vigilantes.

Pray that the iron grip of Wahhabism, the strict form of Islam promoted by Saudi Arabia’s government, will be loosened and that the authorities will yield to international pressure to introduce greater religious freedom. Lift up the vulnerable Christian community, both Saudis and expatriates, and ask that they will

Saudis sometimes become Christians after reading Christian material via mobile phone “apps” or on the internet

know the Lord’s peace as they face danger and restrictions.

Saudi Arabia also seeks to promote its religious ideology throughout the wider region; pray that it will not succeed in spreading its strict, intolerant interpretation of Islam any further.

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Converts A convert to Christianity in Vietnam endured extreme hostility after he and his family accepted Jesus Christ last year. First, local authorities told him that he could no longer live in his village and barred him from buying essential goods such as food and clothing. Then his own brother beat him and had him arrested; whilst in custody for two days, the new Christian received an electric shock in his eye. He was ordered to pay a fine equivalent to £152 for his release.

New Christians face persecution in many contexts: at the hands of Hindu extremists in India, for example, or by the adherents of animism or Buddhists in south and south-east Asia. But they are most at risk in Islamic contexts. All schools of sharia prescribe the death penalty for adult males who leave Islam. Apostasy from Islam is penalised to different degrees in 24 countries, although the death penalty is only legal in a handful and very rarely enforced. Converts are more likely to be imprisoned and tortured, as in Iran, where more than a hundred are currently in prison.

Converts from Islam also often face pressure from their families to return to Islam and outright rejection if they refuse. They may lose their spouses, children, jobs and possessions or be forced into hiding because of the threat to their safety. Some may even be killed by family members or by zealous Muslims.

Give thanks for all those who give their lives to the Lord, and for the faith of those who endure even in the face of violence, discrimination and harassment. Pray that the Lord will use other Christians to support, comfort and encourage vulnerable new converts, and that He will strengthen new

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After a group of Christian converts in Burundi were rejected by their Muslim-majority community, Barnabas Fund provided them with cows to ensure they had a source of income

Barnabas Fund’s Convert Fund supports vulnerable new Christians by providing them with safe places of refuge, discipleship training and education, skills training and small-business start-up costs.

Christians who are isolated. Pray for protection for those who are at risk of violence, and ask that those who are rejected by their families will be comforted in the knowledge that their place in God’s family can never be taken away from them.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Convert Fund (Ref. 00-113) • Vocational training for Ugandan converts (Ref. 56-934) • Needy and persecuted Afghan Christians, including those who have had to flee their homeland (Ref. 01-901)

Somalia Hassan Hurshe (28), a Somali convert from Islam to Christianity, was publicly shot in the head in the town of Jilib in June 2013 by militants from the Islamist group al-Shabaab. It is thought that the group had been monitoring him since his return to Somalia in 2010.

His parents, widow and young son fled the area after his murder.

Hassan’s killing is only one of numerous anti-Christian attacks carried out by al-Shabaab in Somalia during the past year. The group has declared its intention “to get rid of the barbaric and non-Islamic culture in the country” and that converts from Islam would be “under the sword of the holy warriors”. Kidnapping, sexual abuse, torture and murder are among the brutal punishments meted out to the small number of Christian converts. Dozens of Christians have been executed since 2008, when the group seized control of central and southern Somalia.

Al-Shabaab is fighting to establish a radical Islamic state in East Africa.

Despite having been driven out of most major population centres, it continues to control some rural areas in the centre and south of Somalia, where it strictly implements sharia law using stonings, amputations and floggings.

Somalia has been without an effective government for many years.

The introduction of a provisional constitution and the election of a new parliament and president are hopeful signs, but much of the country is still outside their control. Even in government-held areas, non-Muslim Pray for Christians in Somalia as they follow Christ in the knowledge that to do so may cost them their lives. Ask the Lord to deliver them from evil and give them opportunities for fellowship and encouragement. Give thanks that al-Shabaab has been dislodged from many of its strongholds, but pray that its

Even in government-controlled areas of Somalia such as the capital, Mogadishu, Christian converts have to meet in secret (Source: ctsnow, Flickr)

evangelism is forbidden and conversion from Islam is socially unacceptable; Christian converts have to meet secretly or follow Jesus alone. power may be broken throughout Somalia. Pray too for greater freedom for Christians to practise their faith in governmentcontrolled areas and that order and peace will be restored throughout the country. Ask for God’s blessing on those who have lost loved ones in anti-Christian attacks.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Somalia General Fund (Ref. 47-840)

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Sri Lanka Pastor Pradeep was out when a violent mob of Buddhist extremists descended last year on his home, which is used for worship. The assailants vandalised the property and threatened the pastor’s wife, who called the police, but they could not contain the mob. The attack continued for three and a half hours. This onslaught followed a series of other forcible attempts to end Pastor Pradeep’s ministry.

Sri Lanka’s constitution affords Buddhism “the foremost place”. This elevated status is exploited by a powerful ethnic Sinhalese and Buddhist nationalist lobby, which demands rights and privileges for itself at the expense of other religions. The lobby, which is particularly opposed to Christianity, campaigns for the introduction of anti-conversion legislation that would hinder Christian activities.

This political pressure is accompanied by a violent extremist movement on the ground. At least 65 anti-Christian incidents, including mob attacks on churches, were recorded in 2013. Church leaders are particularly at risk of violence and harassment, and churches may be forcibly closed.

Pressure from Buddhist monks closed down over 40 churches and house churches in Sri Lanka in 2013.

Christians also face difficulties in building churches, and may be ordered to stop activities that have not been “authorised” by the state. The government plans to introduce legislation prohibiting “cults”; this could threaten evangelical churches, which are not recognised by the state.

Pray for Christians in Sri Lanka as their place in their homeland is undermined both by the actions of the state and by hostility from militant Buddhists. Believers in some parts of the country are also under threat from Hindu and Muslim extremists; pray that the Holy Spirit will enable our brothers and sisters to

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This church building in Sri Lanka was severely damaged in a mob attack

Christians, who make up around 7% of the population, also experience discrimination in education. Many have continued to live in desperate poverty since the 26-year civil war ended in 2009. stand firm in the face of opposition from any quarter. Ask that the proposed new legislation against cults will not hinder evangelical Christians from meeting to worship and carrying out Christian work. Pray also that anti-conversion legislation will not be introduced in Sri Lanka.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Scholarships for theological seminary students (Ref. 85-985) • Rebuilding churches (Ref. 85-927) • Income-generation projects for war widows (Ref. 85-1063) • Education support for 75 poor students (Ref. 85-1159)

Sudan “They told me I must co-operate with them in giving them the names of Muslims who have changed their religion, and they asked me about the whereabouts of my friend, a guy who was a Muslim and became a Christian.” A Christian man who fled Sudan in 2013 described how the authorities there are trying to track down Christian converts from Islam. Officials threatened to kill him for refusing to divulge names.

The persecution of apostates, who are legally punishable by death in Sudan, is only one part of a targeted and ruthless campaign being waged by the Islamist government against the country’s Christian minority.

Sudanese Christians have been arrested, interrogated and detained without charge; churches are being demolished and Christian institutions closed; and Christian literature has been seized. A media drive against alleged “Christianisation” led to the deportation of numerous foreign Christian workers. The government has said that it will not grant any more licences for new church buildings.

President Omar al-Bashir has made clear his intention to make Sudan a fully Islamic state, and since the secession of the mainly Christian South Sudan in 2011, the process of Islamisation has accelerated. Although a strict version of sharia is already in force, the new constitution is expected further to limit religious freedom. Hundreds of thousands of Christians from South Sudan are effectively being forced out of the country by government intimidation and harassment. Some observers believe that the government’s goal may be to eradicate Christianity from Sudan altogether.

Lift up to the Lord the vulnerable Christians of Sudan as they seek to maintain a Christian presence and witness in their homeland.

Pray especially for church leaders, Christian workers and converts from Islam, who are often the first targets of government oppression. Ask that the president’s stated goal of making Sudan

Numerous church buildings in Sudan have been demolished by the authorities

100% Islamic will not be realised, and that a just and wise government will be established in Sudan. Pray too for South Sudanese Christians trapped in a hostile country, that the Lord may open escape routes for them to their own land.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Education and school meals for Sudanese Christian children (Ref. 48-344) • Christian prison ministry (Ref. 48-575) • Rescue of Christians to South Sudan (Ref. 48-1078)

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Syria Villages besieged and massacred; believers attacked and murdered; church leaders kidnapped; women and girls raped and forced into marriage and children traumatised: another year in the lives of Syria’s Christians. As the civil war enters its fourth year, the lives of more of our brothers and sisters are being torn apart.

What began as a people’s revolution is now dominated by Islamists fighting for an Islamic state; they particularly target Christians, who now have few safe havens left.

In one particularly harrowing incident, the Christian towns of Saddad and Haffar were besieged in October 2013. By the time government forces liberated the area, 46 people had been killed, 3,000 people had been used as human shields and 2,500 families had fled. Many of the rebels’ abuses, including killing civilians and targeting churches, have been condemned as war crimes. Maaloula, an historic Christian village, was another target of a deadly invasion, in September 2013, and was attacked again in December.

Many of our brothers and sisters are engulfed by an ongoing humanitarian crisis. For example, areas of Aleppo that are home to around 400,000 Christians were besieged by the rebels for months.

Many Christians became malnourished owing to shortages and skyrocketing prices of food and other essentials. Access to water, electricity and communications was very limited.

Cry out to the Lord for our suffering brothers and sisters in Syria. Ask for His peace to come upon the grieving relatives of at least 600 people who are thought to have been martyred for their faith. The number of Christians in Syria has been reduced by at least 600,000; pray for the many thousands who

A funeral procession for some of those killed in the Christian towns of Saddad and Haffar

It is perhaps the traumatised children of Christian families who are suffering most acutely; some have lost one or both parents; many are in desperate need, and rebel forces have even targeted Christian schools.

have fled to other countries and also for those who are displaced within Syria. Pray that the bloodshed will soon be brought to an end, and for an outcome to the conflict that will not result in Christians being further endangered or marginalised.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Middle East Fund to help Christians in Syria (Ref. 00-1032) • Sponsor a persecuted Christian child (Ref. 00-1147)

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Tajikistan Madamin Chariyev, a Christian from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, was fined in September 2013 for “illegally importing unlicensed religious literature”. He and two other members of his church had received copies of a Christian magazine from Belarus.

Although these were devotional materials intended only for the Christians’ personal use, the authorities insisted that they should have been checked and licensed by the state. Such “expert analysis” of Christian books and magazines is unaffordable for small churches.

The censorship of all religious literature is just one part of the repressive official regulation of the churches in Tajikistan. In the past four years the government has expanded the laws that limit religious freedom and has sought to suppress and punish all religious activity independent of state control. In effect it claims the right to approve, restrict or prevent any kind of Christian worship, ministry or mission.

The 2009 Religion Law forced all churches to re-register with the state and established demanding and intrusive registration requirements.

Unregistered Christian activity was criminalised. Evangelism and private Christian education (except by parents) were also prohibited, and official permission must be given to provide Christian instruction. Administrative and penal amendments in 2011 and 2012 introduced new penalties, including large fines and prison terms, for religion-related offences. A 2011 law effectively bans young people under 18 from participating in Christian worship.

Christians make up only about 1% of the population of Tajikistan and are therefore especially vulnerable. However, the stifling state controls also apply to the Muslim majority.

Pray for the Christians of Tajikistan as they bear the burden of oppressive state regulation. Ask that they may find ways to worship the Lord, build each other up and share their faith without bringing punishment upon themselves. Pray especially for members of small churches, who are particularly liable to

repression. Pray for Christian children who are denied a Christian education or the opportunity to attend worship, that they may be confirmed and strengthened in their faith. Pray for a relaxation of the government’s controls on Christian activity and for the establishing of true religious freedom in Tajikistan.

A lively church in Tajikistan was able to buy and register this large property with help from Barnabas

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Tajikistan General Fund (Ref. 50-770)

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Tanzania Christians and Muslims in Tanzania have traditionally lived together in peace, and they continue to do so in many parts of the country.

But the president has said that for the first time Tanzania is facing the prospect of civil strife and division on religious lines. The past two years have seen heightened tensions, sometimes centred on the issue of animal slaughter. Muslims have attacked Christians for slaughtering and selling meat that is not halal (that is, killed according to Islamic sharia).

Church leaders are particularly liable to suffer violence. The past year has seen one leader beheaded, another shot dead, and a youth leader hacked to death, as well as machete attacks on pastors in their homes.

Acid was thrown at another leader in Zanzibar. Some pastors have had to flee because of the threat to their lives. There has also been an increase in the number of attacks on churches and their buildings; for example, five people were killed and around 60 wounded when a new church building in Arusha was bombed during its inaugural service in May 2013. (Responsibility for some of these attacks is still unclear.)

Islamists on Zanzibar, which is 98% Muslim, are pressing for greater autonomy from mainland Tanzania and for sharia to be applied to all the island’s legislation. The role of sharia is also being debated on the mainland. Many key posts across the country in politics, the judiciary and the security services are held by Muslims, and one senior Christian leader has said that the country could be totally Islamised in Give thanks for the longstanding and continuing good relations between most Christians and Muslims in Tanzania, and pray that these will persist. Pray for the easing of tensions over the slaughtering of animals and that the demands of sharia will not be imposed on the Christian community. Pray

Chaos in the aftermath of a church bombing in Arusha

five to ten years if the Church does not make a decisive response to the threat of Islamism. for Christian leaders who have suffered violence at the hands of Islamists (or others) and for those who have had to flee their homes, for healing for their physical and emotional wounds. Pray that Tanzania will not be further Islamised and that the Church will proclaim the Gospel boldly.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Support for Bible College students (Ref. 51-1105) • Leadership training seminars (Ref. 51-413)

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Elderly When Naziya Ziyatdinova (76), a Christian woman in Uzbekistan who has Parkinson’s disease, was unable to answer her door to the police immediately, a policeman forced his way into her home through a window. Officers then removed Naziya from her bed, turned her home upside down and confiscated Christian books and DVDs. She was subsequently fined ten times the minimum monthly salary; her pension is insufficient even to buy her medicines.

Naziya’s story illustrates the vulnerability of many elderly Christians who live in contexts of pressure and persecution. Because of their physical weakness, they may be less able to defend themselves or to flee, and poverty may deny them access to legal aid or medical care. Younger Christians who are themselves living in hardship may be unable to provide for their elderly family members as well as they would wish. The wearying and unrelenting burden of discrimination, harassment and violence may also cause some Christians to age more quickly.

Sometimes the commitment of Christians to older relatives can leave the whole family vulnerable. In the Islamist siege of Saddad in Syria in October 2013, Najla Mtanes al-Sheikh refused a neighbour’s offer of help to escape because she had three elderly relatives with her. By next day the family had disappeared, and Najla, her sons and the three old people were later found shot dead at the bottom of a well.

Pray for the older generation of Christians in contexts where they live in poverty and suffer persecution because of their faith. Ask God to uphold them in their sufferings and to meet their needs, and that the Lord will make His power perfect in their weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Pray that they may know His peace and joy

A room in a Christian home for the elderly that Barnabas has supported in Lebanon

Barnabas Fund has supported Christian care homes for the elderly in several countries, and older Christians also benefit from the disaster relief and feeding programmes that we fund. in their remaining years. Pray too that the care homes and other support that Barnabas has provided will relieve hardpressed Christian communities by ensuring that their elderly loved ones are properly cared for.

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Tunisia Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, but until September 2013 it appeared that any hopes for greater liberty and security for the country’s tiny Christian minority had been dashed. The principal Islamist group, Ennahda, was the leading party of government, and although it had been unable to introduce sharia into the new constitution, the draft version limited religious freedom and other key rights. Islamist leaders were putting out anti-Christian messages, and their supporters were harassing churches. A selfappointed religious police had been given legal status.

But Tunisia is traditionally among the most secular and progressive of the Arab nations, and many legislators remained committed to this tradition.

So the government found itself under pressure after the assassination of two opposition politicians sparked months of mass protests. The powerful trade union association, which has the power to bring the country to a standstill, forced Ennahda’s leaders to resign and hand over to a non-partisan, caretaker administration ahead of new elections. It is thought that the Tunisian opposition was emboldened by the toppling of the Islamist regime in Egypt after a mass uprising there.

Tunisia is around 99% Muslim. There are only a few hundred indigenous Christians, all of them converts from Islam or the children of converts, alongside a rather larger population of expatriate believers. In general churches are allowed to operate without harassment, but evangelism

Thank God for positive political change in Tunisia and that attempts by Ennahda to Islamise the country’s politics and society have been defeated for now. Pray for the establishing of a stable government that will guarantee freedom and security for all, including Christians. Pray for converts from Barnabas Fund projects include: • Tunisia General Fund (Ref. 53-880)

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Tunisia has some fine church buildings, but many converts from Islam have to worship the Lord in secret (Source: Habib M’henni, Wikimedia Commons)

among Muslims is forbidden, and disapproval of apostasy from Islam is so strong in society at large that many converts are secret believers.

Islam, that the Lord will keep them safe from harm and that the Muslim majority will become more tolerant of their presence. Pray too for growth and unity among the diverse churches of Tunisia, and that scattered and isolated believers will find opportunities for fellowship and mutual encouragement.

Turkey The efforts of Turkey’s government to Islamise Turkish politics and society suffered two major setbacks in 2013. The fall of Islamist regimes in Egypt and Tunisia undermined Turkey’s claim that modern and democratic institutions could be successfully combined with the values of political Islam. And large-scale demonstrations against the government’s Islamisation programme underlined widespread popular discontent with its vigorous attempts to promote Islam.

However, the country’s small Christian minority is still labouring under crippling government restrictions. All religious activity is closely supervised by the state, and the rights of churches to own property, conduct services and open other facilities are severely limited. Difficulties are also made for them in managing their own internal governance, training their leaders and undertaking evangelism and religious education. Controls are especially tight on members of non-traditional denominations.

Many Turkish Muslims regard Islam as an essential part of national identity, and as a result Christians (and other minorities) are regarded with suspicion or outright hostility. They suffer discrimination and harassment, and occasional but sometimes serious acts of violence. A number of ministers and Christian workers have been murdered, and in 2013 a plot to kill a pastor in Izmit was foiled only by counter-terrorism units. Christians are often portrayed very negatively in the media and in school textbooks.

Give thanks that the Islamisation programme of Turkey’s government has suffered setbacks in the past year. Pray that these will prompt the government to preserve the country’s secular state and also to relax the restrictions that hamper the work of the churches. Ask that Turkey will come to terms with

This ancient Christian church in Trabzon has been registered as a mosque (Source: Alaexis, Wikimedia Commons)

Islamists also appear intent on erasing visible evidence of Turkey’s Christian past. Last year an ancient Byzantine church in Trabzon, which had been in secular use, was registered as a mosque and its Christianthemed mosaics hidden from view. its Christian past and acknowledge Christians as full and honoured members of society; pray that the verbal and physical attacks upon them will cease. Pray too for those Christians who are still waiting for the murderers of their friends and relatives to be brought to justice.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Turkey General Fund (Ref. 54-750)

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Turkmenistan A Christian children’s camp on church premises in the town of Mary in Turkmenistan was raided in the summer of 2013. The police subjected the youngsters to questioning for three hours; then they called the parents and demanded that they collect their children immediately. Church leaders were subsequently fined for holding an unregistered church meeting.

All churches in Turkmenistan are required to register with the authorities.

Criteria for registration are intrusive and the process is cumbersome, but unregistered religious activity is prohibited by law and can be punished by imprisonment and large fines. Unregistered groups are subject to raids and other forms of harassment, and they are not allowed to rent, buy or build places of worship.

Registered churches have to accept state oversight of all their activities and may face interference with their leadership and organisation. They must have government permission for their buildings and cannot meet for worship in private homes. No private religious education is allowed, and there are no training facilities for church leaders. Christian literature may not be published in the country, and its importing is severely restricted by censorship regulations.

Turkmenistan is mainly Muslim (95%), and ethnic Turkmen Christian converts from Islam are treated with suspicion and ostracised to pressure them to return. The previous head of state, Saparmurat Pray for God’s people in the closed, isolated and restricted country of Turkmenistan. Give thanks for their faith and dedication in the face of such tight controls by the state, and pray that they may have grace to persevere. Pray especially for those who will not accept state interference in their

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Funds from Barnabas enabled some needy Christians in Turkmenistan to start a pig farm

Niyazov, initiated a presidential personality cult with religious overtones that dominated public life, and although this has diminished somewhat since his death in 2006, it remains pervasive under his successor. worship and witness and who are therefore at serious risk of reprisals. Ask that Christians will find ways to encourage one another and share their faith. Pray too for converts from Islam under pressure from their families and communities.

Uzbekistan All Christian activity is illegal for members of unregistered churches in Uzbekistan, and the official reprisals inflicted on them can be shattering. Sardorbek Nurmetov, who attends an unregistered church, was brutally beaten following his arrest in June 2013. A police officer beat him about the head and chest and kicked his legs.

Christian literature and other materials were seized.

Uzbekistan is one of the most repressive Central Asian regimes in terms of religious freedom. Churches are required to register with the authorities, but the stringent requirements are impossible for some to meet, and others are turned down for petty reasons such as minor grammatical errors or problems in certifying addresses. Children are discouraged from practising the Christian faith, and last year the government raided a Christian children’s camp.

Christians from unregistered churches are vulnerable to police raids on their meetings and homes as well as to harassment and surveillance. During raids, threats and physical violence are common.

Attending services, teaching the Bible to adults or children and training Christian leaders can result in fines of up to 200 to 300 times the monthly minimum wage for repeated violations. Even registered churches may be targeted. All evangelism is illegal, and Christians accused of illegally storing, importing or distributing Christian literature are subject to heavy fines.

Members of churches that are considered “non-traditional” may be criticised in the media or suffer discrimination. Uzbekistan is 93% Muslim, and converts from Islam experience pressure from their families and communities.

Give thanks for Christians in Uzbekistan, whose faith endures despite intense repression. Pray that all those who have been punished for taking part in Christian activities will know the peace of the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). Lift up the children of Christian families and ask that, despite legal restrictions on

children’s work, they will grow up to become strong men and women of faith. Pray for wisdom for members of unregistered churches, so that they will know how best to follow Jesus Christ in a context where the state makes every effort to prevent their doing so.

Barnabas Fund supports “Pastor Ilshod”, shown here with his family, so that he can devote himself full-time to ministry

Barnabas Fund supports many projects to help Christians in Uzbekistan. We cannot mention them individually, but donations to the Uzbekistan General Fund (Ref. 57-776) will be used for these projects.

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Martyrs On 29 August 2013, five Christians were travelling near Jos in Plateau state, Nigeria, when Muslim gunmen stopped their minibus and ordered the passengers out. Having established which of them were Christians, the gunmen forced the five to lie down in a roadside ditch and opened fire. All of them were killed.

These five martyrs join a large group of Christians in various countries who were killed for their faith in 2013. For example, over 40 believers perished in October in an Islamist siege of the Christian village of Saddad in Syria. The worst anti-Christian attack ever carried out in Pakistan left more than 100 dead at All Saints Church in Peshawar in September. And a ten-year-old girl gunned down in Cairo in August was one of at least 16 Christians killed in a targeted campaign of violence by Egyptian Islamists.

But through His death on the cross Jesus has opened the way to eternal life for all those who lose their lives for His sake, and indeed for all who trust in Him (1 Thessalonians 5:10; Mark 8:35; John 6:40). And by God’s grace the blood of the martyrs can even grow the Church, as their faith and courage change the hearts of their persecutors. The pregnant widow of one of the five martyred Nigerians said, “My husband is a friend, and I’m already missing him. But I pray that through his death those who killed him will get to know Jesus as their Saviour.”

Give thanks to God for the death of Christ and for His gift of eternal life to the martyrs and all of us who believe. Praise Him for the faithfulness of those who have persevered in faith in the face of mortal danger and who have made the ultimate sacrifice for Christ’s sake. Pray that their sacrifice will inspire Barnabas Fund projects include: • Victims of Violence Fund (Ref. 00-345)

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Pam Gyang (33) was one of five Nigerian Christians murdered in a roadside ditch (Source: Morning Star News)

their brothers and sisters to endure whatever sufferings befall them and will convince their persecutors of the truth and power of the Gospel. Pray too that their bereaved families and churches will not grieve without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

Vietnam On 4 October 2013, various religious groups in Vietnam, including major Christian denominations, issued a joint statement saying that their government was attempting to destroy religions in the country “using both force and administrative measures”.

Plenty of incidents over the last year substantiate the strength of their argument. On 4 September, police used live ammunition, grenades and electric batons to crush a protest by hundreds of Christians calling for the release of two church members who had been detained for over two months without charge. The pair were subsequently jailed on spurious charges of “disturbing public order”.

Hundreds of Christians are incarcerated in Vietnam’s harsh prison system, where they are subjected to beatings, abuse and torture.

Church leader Vam Ngaij Vaj died in police custody in March 2013.

His body showed signs of electrocution; police claimed that he committed suicide.

Vietnam is a one-party Communist state that regards Christianity as a Western religion and thus a threat. Religious practice is strictly controlled, and churches are required to register with the authorities. But at the beginning of 2013, new rules came into force that increased restrictions and made it almost impossible for unregistered groups to obtain legal status. Christian lawyer Nguyen Van Dai said Decree 92 “is intended to provide the tools to end the house-church movement entirely”.

Pray that the Lord will protect His people in Vietnam, especially Christians in the Central Highlands who are frequently targeted.

Pray that the country’s house church movement will have the strength to withstand the growing pressure it is under as a result of Decree 92. Because they are unregistered groups, their

Christians in the Central Highlands are doubly persecuted, for their faith and because they belong to ethnic minority groups (Source: Nathan Nelson, Flickr)

As well as state opposition, Vietnamese Christians face hostility from their neighbours. In one case in early 2013, five Christian families were forced to flee their village after their homes and farms were destroyed by local animists. activities are illegal, and so they are particularly vulnerable to harassment, arrests and imprisonment. Lift up the family of Vam Ngaij Vaj, and pray for all those Christians in prison, that they will be swiftly released.

Barnabas Fund projects include: • Vietnam General Fund (Ref. 83-799)

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A Living Hope “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

In this booklet you have read about brothers and sisters across the world who face serious discrimination, harassment and violence because of their love for Christ. Their trust and steadfastness in the face of often grievous suffering is an example and inspiration to us in the lesser trials that we may experience as Christians.

The faithfulness of persecuted Christians comes partly from the living hope that God has given to us all through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These verses from 1 Peter point us to our glorious future, which will put our present sufferings into perspective. We look forward to an enduring inheritance, knowing that even when we are persecuted we are still protected by God’s power, and to a salvation that God will make known to us in the future, when He delivers us from our afflictions for ever.

These blessings give Christians reason to rejoice even when we are grieved by various trials (v. 6), and they strengthen us to endure in the face of persecution.

Give thanks to God for the living hope that He has given us through the resurrection of Jesus. Pray that the prospect of an enduring inheritance and future salvation will continue to encourage our persecuted brothers and sisters to persevere in their faith, whatever may happen to them. Pray that we too

52

Young Egyptian Christians worshipping the Lord

may be sustained by this hope in our sufferings. Remember again before the Lord the believers in the countries featured in this booklet, and pray that His joy and resurrection power may be their strength today and every day.

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Lent prayer diary

For those who are using this prayer booklet in Lent 2014, the following schedule of readings and prayers is suggested. It begins on Ash Wednesday, 5 March, and finishes on Easter Day, 20 April.

5 March

Afghanistan

21 March

Iraq

6 April

Converts

6 March

Algeria

22 March

Kazakhstan

7 April

Somalia

7 March

Azerbaijan

23 March

Pastors and Evangelists

8 April

Sri Lanka

8 March

Bangladesh

24 March

Kenya

9 April

Sudan

9 March

Victims of Violence

25 March

Kyrgyzstan

10 April

Syria

10 March

Burma

26 March

Laos

11 April

Tajikistan

11 March

Central African Republic

27 March

Libya

12 April

Tanzania

12 March

China

28 March

Maldives

13 April

Elderly

13 March

Cuba

29 March

Mali

14 April

Tunisia

14 March

Egypt

30 March

Women

15 April

Turkey

15 March

Eritrea

31 March

Nepal

16 April

Turkmenistan

16 March

Children

1 April

Nigeria

17 April

Uzbekistan

17 March

Holy Land

2 April

North Korea

18 April

Martyrs

18 March

India

3 April

Pakistan

19 April

Vietnam

19 March

Indonesia

4 April

Philippines

20 April

A Living Hope

20 March

Iran

5 April

Saudi Arabia

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