Sisters Forced to Flee Home after Converting to Christianity

Pray for the safety of the sisters who were
forced to flee their home in Jordan.
Flickr / Dennis Jarvis

Two sisters who converted to Christianity were forced to flee their village recently after their brother threatened to kill them for leaving Islam. Before her conversion, "Nazli" felt that Allah was unfair and discriminated against women. When a Christian relative helped her to understand how just the true God is toward all of humanity, she willingly invited Jesus into her heart. Upon learning that Nazli had become a follower of Christ, the young woman's brother beat her and threatened to have her killed. Nazli and her sister, whom she had led to Christ, were then forced to leave their village and find safe refuge elsewhere. They currently live in a VOM-sponsored safehouse, where they are receiving encouragement and further instruction in the Christian faith.

Traditionally, Christians have had few difficulties in Jordan, and even "quiet" evangelism has been allowed. However, there are followers of Christ in this country who have faced persecution from their families, employers and other members of society. With Islamist movements sweeping across the Middle East, Jordanian believers are concerned that similar developments may potentially occur within their own country.

What an amazing testimony of the Holy Spirit's transforming work in the lives of Nazli and her sister! Ask the Lord to continue to comfort and encourage these two young Christian women, especially as they have been forced to leave their home, family and friends. May God bless them with the support of a strong Christian community -- one that will warmly embrace them and help to nurture their growing faith. In turn, may these sisters be used powerfully as God's agents of grace and love to others who are seeking to learn more about the Christian faith. Additionally, please remember the country of Jordan as a whole, praying that peace will reign within the homes and communities of this ancient land, and for the protection of all its people -- including the great influx of refugees from Syria who themselves are seeking safety from the terror of severe persecution.

For more information on the trials some Christians have faced in Jordan, please visit the Jordan Country Report.

Jordan Information

  • Country Information

    Population
    11,086,716 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Jordanian (69.3), Syrian (13.3), Palestinian (6.7), Egyptian (6.7), Iraqi (1.4), Other (2.6)

    Religion (%)
    Muslim (97.1), Christian (2.1), Buddhist (0.4), Hindu (0.1), Jewish (<.1), Other (0.3)

    Leader
    King Abdallah II (1999)

    Government type
    Parliamentary constitutional monarchy

    Legal system
    Mixed system developed from codes instituted by the Ottoman Empire (based on French law), British common law, and Islamic law

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Jordan

    Pray that Christians who face opposition from those around them will remain faithful to Christ.

    Pray that the Jordanian government will recognize the religious rights of all citizens.

    Ask God to bring forth more church leaders and other servants of the Lord in Jordan to continue His work in the nation (Matthew 9:36-38).

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Jordan News

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    Messianic believers in Arad, southern Israel, have been targeted by the Gur Hasidim, a strict Orthodox Jewish sect. Recently, graffiti was written on the footpath outside the home of some believers, stating that "the mission" – a term used by Gur members in reference to the fellowship of Messianic Christians – was "a tragedy for the Jewish people."

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    Photo: Flicker / nborun (cc)

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    Leaflets distributed recently in East Jerusalem are warning Christians to leave the city before the end of Ramadan on July 18th or risk being killed. The leaflets are attributed to a group its own members refer to as the "Islamic State in Palestine."

    While Muslim and Christian religious leaders have been quick to condemn the leaflets, alarmed Christians residing in Jerusalem have requested prayer. As recently reported in one of our previously posted prayer alerts, there have been a number of recent incidents targeting Christians in Jerusalem's Old City, as well as reports of mounting pressure on Palestinian Christians amid fears of local Muslims being radicalized. To review this earlier report, please click here.

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