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2016-06-02

• Children Narrowly Escape Death

  
  Two children of slain Mariam Nakirya. (Photo altered for security reasons.)
  Photo: Morning Star News

  Early in the morning of May 8th, 34-year-old Awali Kakaire killed his wife, Mariam Nakirya, for embracing Christianity. The mother of five was only 30 years old. Awali began to suspect his wife was a Christian a month prior to the incident, after the local imam questioned him as to why his wife and children had not been attending mosque prayers, and the reason his children had not been attending the Islamic school. As Awali frequently travelled for business, sometimes for the duration of a month at a time, the rest of the family was able to attend church on Sundays.

  On May 8th, after his Islamic cleansing ritual, Awali instructed his wife to join him for morning Islamic prayers. "Our mother refused, and our father started strangling her as she cried for help," one son recalls. Awali left the house after killing her, returning two hours later. He then forced his five children, ages 5 to 12, into a hole that he had dug in a nearby garden.

  "We resisted and began screaming," the son further explains. "Neighbours arrived immediately, but he had already dumped us into the hole he had dug," Police arrived at the scene equipped with tear gas, guns and batons in case there were added ramifications while dealing with the gathered crowd.

  Mariam had come to Christ in August of 2015, after a series of visits from a door-to-door evangelist. Two of her children are now staying with their grandmother, and three with their uncle. "The children are still traumatized and crying for their mother," adds the concerned 80-year-old grandmother.

  Let us join together in prayer for these five traumatized children who are suffering the tragic loss of their mother. May our Lord Jesus, whom they have come to know while attending church, fill their hearts with great peace, comfort and hope. May these young ones continue in the footsteps of their mother who faithfully followed Him until the very end. Also intercede for their father in hopes that he, too, will discover God's forgiveness and salvation, in addition to the peace that comes when personally acknowledging His Son Jesus as Saviour.

• Unlawful Detainment of Church Leaders

  
  Kuwa Shamal and Hassan Taour
  Photo: World Watch Monitor

  Five months since his initial detention, a local pastor has been re-arrested by Sudan's intelligence agency. Rev. Kuwa Shamal joins at least two more Christian leaders in prison, awaiting charges that could potentially carry the death penalty. He was re-arrested on May 24th by members of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) in Khartoum.

  Together with fellow Sudan Church of Christ leader, Rev. Hassan Taour, and a Christian convert from Darfur identified as Abdulmonem Abdumawla, the newly jailed pastor is expected to face serious charges including espionage and undermining state security. Rev. Kuwa, who serves as the church's head of missions, was first detained for three days on December 18th. He later had to report daily to the NISS for long periods of time. For no obvious reason, the routine was lifted in mid-January but then re-imposed a month later. (To review a previously posted report, go to this page.)

  This is not the first time Khartoum has detained Christians unlawfully, failing to prove beforehand the serious charges brought against them later in the courts. In the summer of 2015, Khartoum officials released two South Sudanese pastors who were accused of "spying." More details on this case are available here.

  According to the 2016 Open Doors' World Watch List, Sudan is ranked 8th in a list of 50 countries where Christians are under the most pressure. The predominantly Muslim country has a rating of "extreme" and, for the past two years, has remained among the top 10 offenders. For additional information on persecution in Sudan, visit our Sudan Country Report.

  Please intercede for these incarcerated Christians in Sudan, praying that they will remain strong in their faith -- not wavering in their courageous stand -- during this time of trial. May the Lord deliver them, granting even greater opportunities to spread the good news of His unfailing love and salvation in this spiritually oppressed part of the world. To God be the praise and glory for what He is going to accomplish through the lives and witness of these faithful believers.

• Human Rights Campaigner Freed!

  
  Father Nguyen Van Ly

  Human rights campaigner Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, who was jailed by Vietnamese authorities, was recently released. Thankfully, after having spent most of the past two decades in detention due to his relentless pursuit of democracy and religious freedom, the elderly church leader (born August 31, 1947) was finally released from a prison in central Hue province after his fourth stint behind bars.

  During long periods of incarceration, sometimes in solitary confinement, he suffered numerous health problems, including strokes and partial paralysis. His long-awaited release took place three months before the end of an eight-year prison sentence for "anti-state propaganda," which comes under a section of the criminal code that human rights groups say is vaguely worded and used to punish outspoken critics.

  The human rights activist has been on the receiving end of some of the country's harshest verdicts, stemming from his opposition to the political monopoly of the Communist party and his stand against the government confiscation of church property. Over the years, he set up a pro-democracy movement, campaigning for democracy and freedom of speech. You can review a previous report on his case by going to this page.