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2015-09-17

  • Villagers Beaten in Hunt for ''Blasphemer''
    Pray for protection and fair treatment of all Pakistani citizens.
    Photo: Barnabas Fund

    Police in Pakistan recently detained a believer who was accused of "blasphemy" by business rivals. In their search for him, they had also physically beaten several local Christians. Allegations against Pervaiz Masih, 35, arose after he won a contract to supply sand in Garra village, Kasur district. Hundreds of Muslims took to the streets and threatened to burn him alive.

    When Pervaiz went into hiding, police raided several Christian homes in their attempt to find him. During the process, they beat and insulted the local believers, including a pregnant woman and a mother of a newborn baby. Authorities also detained two of the accused's brothers temporarily. Pervaiz later surrendered himself to police and is now being held in the district jail.

    Authorities reportedly announced that Pervaiz has confessed to the charges against him. However, local Christians insist the allegations are false and that his "confession" has been extracted under duress. Recalling the murder of brick kiln workers Shahzad and Shama Masih last year, the detained man's family has had to flee Garra. For a previously posted report on this earlier incident, click here.

    Please ask God to protect Pervaiz and his family, as well as the 15 to 20 other Christian families in Garra village, most of whom are poor farm labourers. May appropriate action be taken to ensure that the Punjab police uphold the rights of all citizens, including minority Christians. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him." (Nahum 1:7)
  • Death Threats Target Church Congregants

    Fifteen Turkish congregants and their leaders have been targeted since August 27th by a strident campaign of death threats sent to their Facebook pages, email addresses, websites and mobile phones. The threats followed the style and jargon typically used by Islamic State (IS/ISIS), vowing to kill, massacre and behead apostates whose messages have allegedly "chosen the path that denies Allah" and "dragged others into believing...."

    "Threats are not anything new for the Protestant community who live in this country and want to raise their children here," explains a representative of the Association of Protestant Christians in Turkey during a press release. "But with the recent increase in systematic threats...we think these messages, coming close together and resembling each other, are from the same source."

    The majority of these Turkish congregation members are former Muslims who have converted to Christianity. In contrast to most Muslim-majority nations, Turkish citizens have the legal right to change their religious identity or leave the religion column on their identification card blank. For more information on the persecution of Christians in Turkey, please go to our Turkey Country Report.

    Let's uphold in prayer these Turkish believers who have been threatened, asking that the Lord's protection and reassuring presence be evident among them. Pray also for the country's authorities; in particular, those who are endeavouring to thwart the perpetrators of violent acts throughout the Middle East. In the midst of these present challenges, may God continue overseeing the growth of His church in Turkey, calling to repentance and salvation even those who want to render harm to His people.
  • Arrests for ''Spreading the Faith''
    Christians in Laos are a small minority.
    Photo: Barnabas Fund

    Two Christians in central Laos have been detained on charges of "spreading the faith." Bountheung, 43, and Neuy, 40, both of whom are married and have children, were arrested on September 2nd during a lunch visit at the home of a family in Nong-Hang village. Five police agents raided the home, apparently after receiving a tip-off from local officials. These men are now imprisoned in Khounkham, a village located within Khammouane province.

    Local sources say that police in Khounkham have been monitoring Christian activities closely for several years due to concerns over church growth. Although studies indicate that Christians make up a mere two percent of this communist country's overall population, Bountheung and Neuy are reported to have brought hundreds of people to Christ through their witness. To learn more about the challenges believers face in Laos, review this page.

    While we can praise God for the powerful witness of Bountheung and Neuy, and the way He has worked through them to bring many Lao people to Christ, please join us in praying for their immediate release. May any local officials who oppose Christians in this area of central Laos be touched by the Holy Spirit and dramatically transformed, as was the case for Saul in the account of Acts 9.